Etyanárë
by Gaia caecilia
Summary: After a border skirmish the twins find that there is an unusual elleth fighting with them. They try to find out who she is but she runs off, leaving more mystery than fact. Sorry, I am useless at writing summaries. Complete
1. Chapter 1

Etyanárë, chapter one

The tall, red haired elleth looked around the carnage of orcs that surrounded her and the other Ellyn. She didn't know the elves that had fought with her, they had just dropped in shortly after she had been attacked by, and started fighting with, the orcs.

As she looked up, one of two dark haired Ellyn with identical faces stepped in front of her.

"May I ask your name, milady? I am sure I should have heard of you." He asked carefully.

"Etyanárë." Came the short reply. She didn't feel like parlaying with this ellon. He, on the other hand showed shock and made a point of asking for more information.

"Etyanárë? It is rare to come across a person named in Quenya, how come you by this name? It is an unusual meaning as well." Etyanárë gave him a flat look before bending down and beginning to collect her arrows, as well as knives, embedded in the orcs.

"My father was one of the Noldor exiled from Valinor in the first age, he always felt the pain of the exile keenly as his leave taking was at least partly from familial duty rather than want. My name was chosen in light of both my appearance and my history." She replied shortly.

By now, all the Ellyn in the group were listening in on the conversation.

"Who is your father then? My home, Rivendell is not far from here and there resides Lord Glorfindel of Gondolin. He may have known your father!" That got the ellon another dark look.

"Oh yes, he will have know my father. Probably didn't want to, but if he didn't know my father personally then he will have known of him. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go." She didn't wait for an answer and left of, jumping up into the trees and running off before they could detain her.

XXX

She hated orcs, she truly did.

The monsters were the scouge of the earth to start with and now they had resulted in her being followed by some nosey Ellyn who obviously could not work out what red hair and an exiled Valinorian Noldo for a father meant. Where they so uneducated as to not know that red hair only turned up in one elfin family? A family which were _familia non grata_ throughout the elfin world.

Correction, the world in general.

She hadn't actually seen her father in millennia. He had either faded or was still wandering around singing his laments of the terrible crime he and his brothers had committed for the sake of some pretty jewels. Her mother was a human who had died when Etyanárë was only a little child. Her father had taken her and brought her up. When she was old enough she had left him for her own explorations, not really wanting to spend the rest of her life with a loony who spent most of his time singing songs of lament about his mistakes, big as those were.

XXX

IT was two weeks later and she _still_ had this tail that refused to be shaken.

These elves clearly had a head of solid bone.

Now totally bored with the attention she turned round and waited for her tail to turn up and come into view. The two identical elves sidled sheepishly into the clearing. They had left their group to clear up and whatever they did to come follow her. They looked as if they were trying to conceal surprise at her noticing their presence.

"Are you ready to talk yet, lady? For, know this, we will not leave you until we have got you to return with us to our home and know who your father is." They did not get a friendly look from the exceptionally frustrated and annoyed elleth.

"If you cannot work out from my appearance and the information I have already given you then I don't recommend that you go in for any intellect or knowledge competitions." They looked confused. "Use your brains rather than your tracking skill, will you? And no, I will not return with you to your home, I don't like being kicked out of places in humiliation because I got born to the wrong father. Who are you anyway?" The two Ellyn had been looking at her in shock, but they jumped slightly at her question.

"We are the sons of Elrond Peredhil, Lord of Rivendell. And no one would dare attack you, especially for something you cannot help, with your presence within the haven as our guest." That comment simply earned them a cynically raised eyebrow.

"As greater elf as I am sure your father has grown to be, I doubt he would welcome me more than anyone else, bar as a possible form of repayment. If you are so curious about me, go talk to your father, I know he knows much more about me. Though, in all honesty I would say you take after your uncle rather more than your father."

They just about managed to get a 'how?' out through their shock.

"Elros was the one who was good a brainless, Elrond always showed rather more intelligence. Tell me, do you have any siblings? For if you do, then I can tell exactly who he passed on the intelligence to." They were left gaping at the implied insult and were too shocked to react when she spun and disappeared.

XXX

They followed her for two more days before they got to a river where her tracks simply stopped. At a guess, she had ridden a log downstream or something and had lost them.

It took much longer to return to Rivendell, though not as long as it had taken to get to the river as she had taken a distinctly scenic route in an attempt to shake off the persistent twins of Elrond.

When they got home they were greeted emphatically by their father who was, having already been reported to by the patrol, very curious. They were also greeted by an equally curious Glorfindel. Once they had cleaned up they joined the two elf lords and Lord Erestor in a sitting room to discuss the chase across the wilderness.

"Did the patrol group tell you her name father?" Elladan asked. Elrond shook his head.

"They said they couldn't hear what was said as you were talking too quietly to follow."

"She is called Etyanárë, have you heard that name? She seemed to think you would know it, it sounded like she knew you from something she said when we caught up with her for a short while." Glorfindel and Erestor looked confused but Elrond had gone pale and wide eyed. "You do know the name? Why did she think you would not welcome her unless as part of a dept."

"She was a tall red haired elleth with blue eyes?" They nodded.

"I would personally welcome her given a choice, but few other elves would. Her father's deeds are imprinted on the memory of every elf in the world. Many would hold her father's crimes against her and I suspect she found that out the hard way. I wonder what happened to her father, I have heard no reports of him in well over an age now." More confused looks from the other elves in the room ensued.

"Father, you make no sense. Who is she and who is her father? How do you know her? She apparently knew your brother, or at least she said she did. How?" The torrent of questions was stopped by a raise hand from the elf lord in the firing line.

"Yes she knew both Elros and I. We knew her before we entered the house of Gil-galad. That was a very long time ago. I have to admit I always wondered what happened to her, I never heard any reports of her and she does not deserve the stigma that comes with her blood. I always thought she must have died in the fall of Beleriand, the way she totally dropped from sight." Glorfindel watched his lord with narrowed eyes.

"She was one of Maedhros and Maglor's people? That is the only thing I can think of that makes sense in light of you comments."

"I suppose you could put it that way, though she was not much older than Elros and I so could not have taken part in the Kinslaying, even if she had wanted to. She is unfortunately tainted by it though as her father was a kinslayer. It is a pity, I was fond of her and she was probably the only elf that could have mad Elros chose elfin kind over that of the humans. It took them a while to grow to like each other but..." He trailed off, eyes distant.

The other elves looked at each other, what Elrond had said shed some insight into the mystery elleth but it was clear he was not going to give any more about her. It was up to them to find out more about the unusual elleth.

XXX

Etyanárë shook herself dry, sitting in a cottage that had become abandoned several years previously when the owner had died. She had buried the old hermit and taken over his house at his request. The old human had not had good eyesight and had failed to notice her race. It had been nice to be able to have some interaction without fear of being discovered for the daughter of one of the best known Kinslayers of the first age.

As she removed her sopping wet clothing and hung it over a railing she almost wished she had taken those twins up on the offer for a stay in Rivendell. She would probably have got a good bath without having to draw it herself, a change of clothes to something nice and elfin for once and a meal up to the standards to which she had not had since she had gone into exile for her father's crimes before actually having met Elrond and most probably got instantly kicked out.

It had been a long time since they had seen each other but she was one of the more recognisable elleth in the world and she did not doubt that he would remember her and recognise her immediately.

Once again, she mentally sent out a curse to her grandfather for starting all the horrors off that caused her this interminable exile and another to Morgoth for stealing the Silmarils in the firstplace.

Why did she have to suffer because of them?


	2. Chapter 2

Etyanárë chapter two

The four curious Elf-lords had got together, without Lord Elrond's presence, to discuss Etyanárë. Two things they all agreed on were that they all wanted to know more about Etyanárë and that Elrond finding out about their curiosity was bad idea.

Their secret meeting resulted in the separation of tasks in finding the girl. Erestor would search through the history, primarily of the First Age, to see if she made any showing there in some obscure chronicle. Lord Glorfindel would scour all the military reports possible for him to get his hands on for any sighting of her and the Twins would use their familiarity with the Dunedain to check throughout the human lands where she was most likely to be. Men did not remember the Kinslayings like the Elves did and so she was less likely to be shunned there.

Not long after the meeting, the Twins left again and joined up with a group of Dunedain. They started asking around the humans about a red haired elleth. They were not a great well of information on her though.

Glorfindel had little more success in finding any reports, not that that was a surprise – she was hardly likely to go into elven realms deliberately and had probably only strayed into Rivendell turf by accident. She probably wasn't planning on making that mistake twice.

It was only after long searching that Erestor found anything. Household records from the time Elrond and Elros had been found with one young lady found that was a similar age to the orphaned Twins. Her exact status was not known, but she was clearly of nobility.

He followed the records down. She had disappeared around the time that Maedhros and Maglor had stolen the Silmarils from Eonwe. Peculiar timing, all things considered. The time, at which the Oath of Feanor was fulfilled, the daughter of one of the Kinslayers vanished, not to turn up until the Third Age of Middle Earth, and then only briefly.

He dug even deeper into the records, hoping to find more about the mysterious enigma.

XXX

Etyanárë left off from the old hermit's hut, aiming for a village in rural Eriador where she could sometimes sell meat and skins she had collected for supplies she could not get in the wilds.

She had stayed too long in her retreat and it was all too likely that the sons of Elrond had got near to tracking her by now. She should make herself scarce quickly and not come back until she was sure they would have given up or moved on.

That was the problem: they were Elves, and she would not repeat her father's mistake of killing them, and they were immortal, so they would not just grow old and die. They tended to stick to things far longer than they should because immortals had nothing better to do with their eternal lives.

Though this pair pushed her very close to committing the ultimate crime at times.

She reached the village a few days after leaving her hut. Within a few hours she had got a good price and had bought everything she would need for a while. She had also got some information.

Swearing, she carefully sneaked to the small inn and found a place she could loiter inconspicuously and observe the door without being observed. It thankfully did not take that long for both monster twins to leave the inn and she entered the building unobtrusively. With little effort, she found their room.

Thankfully, no one noticed her go inside their room and even better, there were a few hiding places for her and escape routes should she get too close to being caught.

With a little poking around their packs, she found what she needed: a quill, ink and parchment. Absently wondering why the hell they had quill, ink and parchment in their packs, she wrote a short letter and sealed it. For the seal she used her own personal seal that had been made for her at birth and that she had, for some reason, kept. The recipient would recognise it and she hoped the Twins had good enough manners not to open a letter they found in their packs which was not addressed to them.

As unobtrusively as she had entered, she left again and once out of town made a run for it, she really needed to get rid of this pair and preferably with the aid of another river.

XXX

"Elladan, someone has been through my pack!" Elrohir was kneeling by his pack, looking confused. The most obviously valuable thing was still clearly there so it could not have been a robbery, and he told his twin this. Elladan then went to look in his pack, which had also been rifled with nothing – valuable or otherwise – taken. Both were too busy looking for missing things to notice an addition.

They looked round the rest of the room and noticed little else was touched and the room showed no signs of a break in. Who ever had entered was clearly a skilled lock pick.

XXX

It was only after they had returned from their trip and had a little sharing of information session with their co-conspirators that they found the letter.

They were emptying out their packs and found it buried amongst their supply of parchment, kept in case of the need to send a letter.

They examined the letter closely, trying to find out anything about it. They didn't recognise the seal and quick copied it for future reference. Then they went to find their father, knowing they couldn't keep it hidden or open it for fear of his wrath.

Both Glorfindel and Erestor were with him when they found him, in the same sitting-room they had talked about Etyanárë in months before.

As they handed their father the note, his eyebrows shot up and he closely examined the seal. Well, he hadn't seen that in a long time. Ignoring his sons windy commentary on their packs having been gone through, Elrond retrieved a letter knife, sat down and opened the letter carefully to prevent damage to the little symbol in the wax.

He quickly read the little note, and let out a light, delighted laugh which stopped his offspring's monologue.

"It is from Etyanárë, she kindly requests that you leave her alone and comments on finding your persisting interest in her annoying. She also adds that if you do not leave her alone then what happened when Elros annoyed her too much will have a repeat performance with twice to show." Everyone in the room stared at the chuckling Elf-lord. Elrond and Etyanárë were probably the only two people who knew the full meaning of that threat.

In impatience, Glorfindel swiped the letter out of his Lord's hand and read it. Then gasped,

"My Lord, it is in Quenya!" The archaic elvish language was not used as a spoken language outside of Valinor and its usage for the note was quite surprising. Elrond simply shrugged at the comment.

"For some reason she always preferred her father's original language over Sindarin and would only use Sindarin when she had too. She knows I can read Quenya, so she chose to write in that language." They nodded.

With that explanation, Glorfindel actually got to read the note:

_Elrond,_

_I know this contact will come as a shock, bar the fact you have almost certainly heard of your sons' highly annoying little chase. Could you please pull in their reins? If not, I will be forced to do something. I will not repeat my father's mistake, sorely tempting as it is right now, but what happened to Elros when he was this annoying would be so amusing to see in duplicate and I am sure I would brighten your day which I am sure are highly tedious with all the work Ereinion left you._

_Fondly, from an elleth who hopes she can still consider you a friend,_

_Etyanárë_

"She has an interesting way of writing, My Lord, though I am sure we are all curious about what this mysterious punishment is." The last part was said in an enquiring tone.

"Oh no, Glorfindel, I am certain that it will be much more entertaining to see in real life, though I would advise my sons to cease asking about her and being nosey if they don't want to discover what happens when they run into a sense of humour worse than theirs."

The four Elves looked at each other, though they had got some more information on Etyanárë, they were not sure they liked it.

Strangely enough, they decided to pull in their horns on the physical search and stick to the paper form of research until they had a better idea of her capabilities and the danger value of following her.

XXX

Etyanárë rested, this time in one of her hideouts in Rohan. She seemed to have lost her tails, for now at least. Hopefully Elrond had managed to rein in his over curious offspring.

Either way, she now had time to relax.

_Pity her next meeting with the dangerous duo would not have such a happy ending..._


	3. Chapter 3

Etyanárë chapter three

Etyanárë looked up to the sky and sniffed. She knew that stench, the stench of unwashed Orcs. There sounded to be a lot of them and their tracks showed the same. She debated whether to sneak round the group or whether to reconnoitre and see if there was a chance of her defeating them.

A terrified, feminine scream made her decision for her. They had a captive, and Etyanárë knew what Orcs did to women and ellyth that they held prisoner. No matter what the consequences, she would do everything to get that poor person free.

XXX

Elladan, Elrohir and several others rode forward, eager to meet up with their mother who was riding back from Lorien. Lord Glorfindel was also in the group and they should at least be nearing the point where they would meet each other.

They had been slightly delayed, and it was quite likely she had been as well but still, they should have had more sign of her presence than they had.

Then the same piercing scream that Etyanárë had heard was heard by all the warriors in the party.

Without a second thought, they all spurred their horses on towards the sound. Within a few seconds, they found a cave entrance with all the hallmarks of Orc infestation. Not far within the cave, they saw a flash of red hair as an elleth ripped the monsters apart.

When the party joined the fight, she ignored them, just as she had the first time the Twins had come across her.

They fought through the cave, killing every Orc they came across. Then they entered the side chamber.

Sprawled at the back, clothing ripped, lay three ellyth. Two were dead, something made abjectly clear by their open eyes, which stared blankly at the ceiling.

The last had silver hair and lay there motionless, but breathing still.

The Twins looked at the elleth, wide-eyed in horror and it took them a short while to identify who she was. The blood matting her hair and the badly damaged skin and clothing had made it hard to tell. They only recognised the badly damaged contours of her face when Etyanárë, the red haired elf they had followed into the fray, gently clasped the elleth in her arms and turned to them with a tear stained face.

"She needs water, and get her a healer. I don't know what needs doing, but I know that there is a lot of whatever it is." Her voice was quiet and broken, but the noise carried and broke both twins out of their spell. In a kind of trance, they went to collect their water skins and healing packs off the horses and patched up their mother well enough for her to travel.

As they finished, they noticed that Etyanárë seemed to have nodded off holding Celebrían and had a large gash on her arm. They quickly examined the cut and noticed the excessive darkening caused by a taint on the blade that made the cut, then applied the standard poultice.

Elladan took their mother and Elrohir took Etyanárë in his arms and they two rode off as fast as their elven horses could carry them to the Last Homely House.

XXX

When they reached the Last Homely House, Elrond took Celebrían from their arms and worked feverishly over her, doing everything he could to save her. Meanwhile, some of the other healers took Etyanárë and patched up her numerous injuries, though only the arm's was major, many had some taint in them and she remained unconscious for several days.

It was two days after the Twins arrived back that the rest of the party returned, having cleaned up the area of the attack then gone looking for any survivors.

By this time, the Twins were rested, having had to take sleeping drugs to get to sleep because they were worrying so much. Once Glorfindel was also washed and rested, he, the Twins and Erestor met up in a sitting room to talk about Etyanárë, mostly to keep their minds off Celebrían.

"So that red haired elleth you brought back at the same time is the mysterious Etyanárë, then?" Erestor asked softly. Like everyone else in the house, he could not bring himself to be too strongly bothered by anything not to do with Celebrían's health or the health of her family.

"Yes, she was already in the cave fighting when we got there, she must have heard the scream as well and gone so save Mother."

"But surely that was just a bit suicidal; she was only one against many Orcs."

"I don't think she cared. I sometimes think she places little value on her own life. Considering oneself an exile from the civilised world doesn't really encourage self preservation." They all nodded.

The conversation went round that general point for a while longer, not covering much ground, but mildly distracting from the ongoing tragedy within the house.

XXX

After taking the rest his sons had forced him into while they watched over Celebrían, Elrond wandered down the main corridor of the healing wing intent on dropping in on the other elleth they had brought back. He had not heard much about her though that could have been the result of paying attention to his wife rather than what was being said.

Upon entering the room, he saw his youngest son leaning over the figure in the bed, checking her injuries.

"How is she, Elrohir?" His son spun round, surprised to see his father.

"Father! What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on this other elleth before going back to your mother. How is she, was she also tortured? You might have told me about her, but I am afraid I wasn't listening." He attempted a wry smile.

"No, she wasn't tortured, father, she heard the scream like us and came to help." He must have shown surprise. "She is no ordinary elleth, father, she is Etyanárë." His head shot up and he stared at his son who moved aside to show the face of the elleth and the shock of red hair that flowed around her.

Almost in a trance, Elrond sat on the side of her bed and touched his hand to the pale face which belied the number of years she had spent outdoors. It was not long after he sat down that she let out a quiet groan and her eyes fluttered open. She blinked twice before her eyes focus on the ellon in front of her.

"Elrond?" she asked weakly. He nodded at her. "What, where am I?" She sounded confused.

"You are in Imladris; you were brought here after you got injured saving my wife's life." Her eyes widened.

"Your wife?" He nodded at her, swallowing harshly. He saw it click in her eyes exactly who his wife was and then, without any warning, she had flung her arms round his neck. "Oh, Elrond!" she whispered, holding him to her comfortingly.

The dam burst. Silent tears fell down his face into the hair of the childhood friend who held him comfortingly. Elrohir was surprised to see tears streaming down her face as well.

Eventually Elrond pulled away from her. She gently kissed away the tears from his face.

"Go to her now, Elrond, I think she needs you more than I; your little terror over there is looking after me fine." He smiled wryly at her again before getting up and going to the door. Just before leaving he turned to her.

"Don't even think about leaving again, Etyanárë, I will have my guards block you if you try." He left, with her gaping at him from her bed.

Elrohir grinned at her.

"So now I shall finally be able to get answers from you! We have searched a long way to find you and get answers about you." If looks could have killed, then Elrond would have a double tragedy to deal with.

"I do not plan on telling you anything and if your father has not seen fit to, then I doubt you will find out anything either. As soon as your father comes to his senses again, I will be gone. I am greatly sorry for what happened to your mother though." All lightness dropped from Elrohir's face.

"We are very grateful for you coming to help, the fact you went in without any apparent backup speaks highly for you. Know that whatever your background, or your father's crime, you will be welcome in these halls simply for that." His shoulders slumped dejectedly; everyone knew there was little chance of recovery from those injuries. She regarded him, her face expressionless, before patting the spot on the bed his father had recently vacated.

"Look on the bright side; at least we got her out. Even if your father can't heal her, then we can send her to Valinor where she can heal and then you can join her later. The ban of the Noldor is not on her, is it?" He shook his head.

"Her mother is under the ban, she is the daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn, but she is not. Will you sail to Valinor at some point?" She raised a cynical eyebrow at him.

"I doubt I would be allowed entry, I am the daughter of a Kinslayer and a Peredhil. Why would the Valar allow me entry?" He looked up at her in surprise.

"You are a Peredhil? Have you not heard of the decision of the Valar on the Peredhil?" The eyebrow went back up again. "I will take that as a no then. All Peredhil get a choice between their two kinds, they can either be elven or human, whichever they choose. And as for your status as the daughter of a Kinslayer, we will simply ask Mithrandir when he next comes to visit. He is a Maia of Manwë, so he would be able to find out." She had gone pale.

"Whatever your father thinks, I think it would be best if I leave as soon as possible. Please leave me. I wish to rest, and no, I will not run off the moment you leave the room. I can barely walk right now." She had obviously spotted the expression on his face.

As she curled back into the bed, Elrohir left more confused than ever about that mysterious elleth.


	4. Chapter 4

And here it is, slightly early for WingCommanderVinyaya, who asked me to update very nicely. Thankyou all my lovely reviewer, any review is appreciated.

Incidently, one review raised the subject of the differnce between maia and Istari. Istari are simply maia who have come to Middle Earth do it would be correct to call Gandalf/Mithrandir both a maia and an istari.

Oh and finally, the disclaimer that is slightly overdue as i forgot to put it in the first chapter. This one will last for the entire story because i always forget it. I do not own anything other than an increasing;y sized student loan which frankly you are welcome to if you so happen to want to pay it for me. The only thing in this story that is mine is Etyanárë/Silari.

Etyanárë Chapter four

Though Celebrían's body healed, she remained despondent and rarely spoke. One of the few things she had said was to ask for Etyanárë to come to her for it was Etyanárë's face she had seen first when she was rescued.

Etyanárë was not sure about the meeting but went anyway, now dressed in a new green dress Elrond had had made for her. He had been very generous, having permanent accommodation readied for her and clothing provided. She was still not allowed to leave however.

She bit her lips as she entered the sitting room that the Lady Celebrían sat in. On one side was her mother, an Elf Etyanárë had avoided, and on the other her husband. Self-consciously she curtsied.

"My Lady," she greeted, and then greeted both of the other Elves who each nodded at her. Celebrían indicated she should sit on the chair opposite her.

"What were you doing in that horrible place?" Came the first soft question. Celebrían was looking down, with shoulders slumped. Everything about her posture spoke defeat.

"I happened to be near there. When I saw the Orc tracks, I was debating whether to go round them or not as I knew they outnumbered me. Then I heard someone scream and attacked them anyway as I would not allow anyone to suffer torment by those monsters if I could help it."

"But you most likely would have been killed if my sons and their party had not also been near." Etyanárë shrugged.

"My life is not worth all that much and if its loss saved someone who did not deserve to die then it was well lost. That is even more the case with you as you are Elrond's wife. It repays the debt owed by my father." That last comment resulted in Elrond's head shooting up. Both Galadriel and Celebrían looked at him, clearly confused.

"You do not have to pay for what your father and uncles did, it is not your debt. How many times will I have to tell you that you do not have to suffer because of your bloodline?" he sighed, knowing she would probably never believe him.

"When Manwë himself tells me so," she answered shortly. Both the other ellyth in the room were looking between the pair in confusion.

"I do not know why you think your life so worthless, Etyanárë, but I have another request for you. I am sailing to Valinor, for I can no longer remain here. Will you sail to Aman with me?" Etyanárë stared at her in amazement.

"I doubt that I would be allowed entry. I do not think the descendants of Feanor are any more welcome there than here." Elrond's face was expressionless, but both Celebrían and Galadriel looked at her in total shock.

"Descendant of Feanor?" Celebrían asked quietly. Etyanárë's face took on an expression of self-loathing.

"I am the Peredhil daughter of Maglor, Feanor's second son. I was only privately acknowledged. I am slightly older than Elrond and Elros and when he took them in, we grew up together. Aside from my father and Maedhros, they were the only people who knew exactly who I was. Father never admitted the half-human child he brought back one winter, when the cold killed my mother, was his own – just the daughter of a noble. I was never sure whether it was shame for having ever taken a human to his bed or trying to protect me from his crimes that made him keep me a secret. Whatever the reason, I am still and probably always will be an exile." They all stared at her in shock. Finally Galadriel spoke,

"Well that was kept quiet! So you were an infant when they attacked the havens of Sirion? Had he brought you home yet?" Etyanárë nodded.

"I think one of the reasons he rescued Elrond and Elros was so I would have a couple of Peredhil of my own age to play with. Three mutant children who belonged to neither world kept apart from the Elves who were oh so much higher than them." She spat the last sentence, bitterness evident. Her hands clasped the hand rest of her chair tightly and her knuckles were white.

Celebrían leaned forward and took Etyanárë's hands in hers.

"I do not care who your father was, I owe my life to you and now, though I can no longer remain here, at least I shall not be going through Mandos. I will wait a time. In that time we can try to get hold of Mithrandir to see if you can enter Aman. If, and when, you come to Valinor though, I will always welcome you." Etyanárë bit her lips, and a tear escaped and rolled down her face.

"Thank you, My Lady..." she trailed off, looking at her lap.

"Do not say you do not deserve it, Etyanárë, you do." Galadriel stated quietly. Etyanárë nodded mutely, still staring at her lap, before rising and fleeing the room. She rushed to her new bedroom and flung herself on her bed and wept herself to sleep.

XXX

She did not leave her room for several days, though she ate the meals that were delivered there. Much of her time was spent curled up on the bed sobbing or staring from her balcony to the stunning scenery around her. The autumn should not be so beautiful in light of the tragedy in the Last Homely House.

About four days after the start of her self-enforced confinement, she felt a hand on her shoulder as she lay curled up on the bed. When she looked up she saw a tall, silver haired elf. She did not need to be told he was a Doriathin Elf, Doriath being the city destroyed in the second Kinslaying. She curled away from him; sure he was here to condemn her for her father's actions.

He did not move to make any actions however, he simply watched her cower from him at the other side of the bed. Eventually he spoke,

"You need not fear me, Etyanárë. I wish to thank you for protecting my daughter so selflessly." Daughter? Oh no, it was Prince Celeborn of Doriath, the now Lord of Lorien and Galadriel's husband. Etyanárë cowered away from him even more. He sighed gently, walked around the bed and, as she tried to scrabble away from him, placed an arm either side of her to prevent her from moving away. As she tried to find a way to escape, he simply pulled her into his arms. "You cannot always run away, child."

"Child? I am not that much younger than you! And why will no one simply let me be? Why do they all feel the urge to make me do what they want?" She said this in a plaintive tone, trying not to curl into the comforting paternal embrace the ancient lord held her in.

"Because we see that you make yourself suffer unduly and we cannot bear a person hurting themselves so when they do not deserve it." The look her received this time was cynical.

"Since when has deserving it had anything to do with their fates? Your own wife did not commit Kinslaying, but she is still as punished as those who did. What makes anyone so sure that because I did not commit the crime that I will not share in the punishment? The Valar are not really all that just, you know and most Elves would punish me for his deeds. That is simply the way the world works."

Celeborn held her closer to him, unsure if he wanted to be able to understand the sense of isolation and doom this girl felt. For however old she was, she was still very much a girl with much adolescent insecurity.

He did not know what to say to her, how to make it clear to her that she did have a place amongst the Elves and that she did not have to fear being cast out or rejected. Then again, when even your name is a reminder of isolation, maybe it wasn't such a surprise she felt separation from the rest of the Elves and of her father's crimes.

XXX

Celeborn, Galadriel, Elrond, Erestor, Glorfindel and the Twins sat together that evening talking about Etyanárë.

"She still feels unwelcome and exiled, even when we have made it clear she is welcome?" Elrohir asked.

"I think she is always reminded of who her father is and his crimes and everything to do with it. I doubt she can bring herself to believe anyone would want her. Her father didn't even publicly acknowledge that she belonged in his family, she has been a sort of outcast since day one."

"I think even her name reminds her that she is different and separate from everyone else. I thought the first step in helping her feel excepted could be to give her a new, Sindarin name," Celeborn commented quietly. They all agreed.

"So do you have any ideas as to this new name? I think we have to be a little bit careful." The silver haired lord nodded gently.

"I was thinking Rosmeril, or Rustheliel, something like that. I can't help feeling the urge to mention her hair in it somewhere. It is such an unusual colour. Fiery also suits her personality as well as appearance." There were many wry expressions at that comment.

XXX

"Lady Etyanárë? Lord Elrond requests your presence. I am to guide you to him." She looked up. What did he want now?

"Just a moment." She quickly cleaned herself up and made herself look presentable. She had still not come out of her rooms though she was now beginning to debate doing so.

The Elf led her through the maze that was Rivendell's corridors to a private sitting room. When she entered, she was amazed to see all of Elrond's family, bar Celebrían and Arwen, as well as Lord Glorfindel and Lord Erestor. She entered and curtseyed deeply, self-conscious of all the important people in the room.

"My Lords, My Lady," she whispered.

"Ah, Etyanárë, we wished to talk to you. Do sit down." Elrond, smooth and gentle. Why were they bothering with her when they all had Celebrían to help? She voiced that thought, though in slightly politer terms.

"My daughter is sleeping and Arwen is with her at the moment. It is her wish that, though we are unsure if you can go to Valinor, for us to make you welcome her. Even if you do not believe what you have done is a great deed, we all appreciate it greatly." Etyanárë nodded, staring at her lap again, not wanting to look into the faces of these Elves who were inexplicably kind to her. "We thought that since you name is a constant reminder of isolation that it would help you if we gave you another name which would not remind you of your father." Her head twanged up to the Elf in front of her. A new name?

"Please, Etyanárë, will you accept this new name and your new identity? I want you to think of yourself as not as a wondering exile but a welcomed Elf of Rivendell, one of my people," Elrond asked gently.

She nodded slowly at him.

"Do you have any suggestions? Names, particularly Sindarin ones, are not exactly my speciality." They smiled, pleased she was finally accepting that they wanted her there. Celeborn repeat the ones he had already thought of. "Why do people feel the urge to refer to my hair colour?" she asked curiously.

"It is one of your most striking features, and the first anyone notices, Lady," Celeborn answered. She smiled at him before looking down, contemplating the new names.

"I like that Silari one, it sounds nice." It was one Galadriel had suggested, thinking she might not want such direct references to her hair colour, especially as she had already made it clear that she associated the red hair with the house of Feanor.

"So Silari you shall be, then! Good, well that has been solved, at least." Elrond smiled at her, pleased that she could start to put the past behind her. Hopefully they could get in touch with Mithrandir and find out if she was allowed into Valinor. He dearly hoped she would be as that would allow her to finally move on fully.

This was still a start, though – a ray of light in the present gloom.

Name translations

_(I meant to put these in an earlier chapter but they seem to make sense here so her I go)_

Etyanárë: Exiled flame

Rosmeril: Copper haired Rose

Rustheliel: Copper heroine

Silari: Summer crowned

All names are got off elffetish((dot)com which has a fairly good name generator. It is only designed for fanfiction and all that but apart from the meanings it has several rules and thing to help with pronunciation so it tends to come out with pretty good names, even if some of this selection are a little sickly in terms of translation.


	5. Chapter 5

Etyanárë Chapter five

Silari walked through the corridors of Rivendell to the main courtyard, feeling rather mournful. It had been several months since the attack on Celebrían now and the winter was finally passing. As soon as the roads had become passable, Celebrían began packing to leave for Aman.

Mithrandir had not come though and so Silari was not going with her; rather she was staying in Rivendell, where she finally was beginning to feel accepted. The new name had been of particular help to her for, as they had thought, her Quenya name had been a constant reminder of her father and all the baggage that came with it.

As she entered the courtyard, she saw the rest of the travelling party either waiting or also doing last minute preparations and went over to her own horse and flung her pack over its back. She carefully tied the pack to the straps that came from the saddle pad and mounted up. She had refused a saddle and had only consented to a saddle-pad, a sort of quilted padding that covered approximately the same area as a saddle and went over a blanket, in deference to the fact she needed something to tie her pack to.

Instead of her normal choice of leggings and tunic, she wore a dark green riding dress with fitted leather armour that the armourer had made for her on request. She was also armed to the teeth, not planning to be caught off-guard.

The rest of the party included a large guard as well as Elrond, the Twins and Arwen. Both Galadriel and Celeborn had returned to their wood, having already said farewell. Prolonged farewells were not in the nature of the Elves.

The journey was a sombre one, with little talking, though everyone near Celebrían tried to at least pretend they were at least accepting things even if they could not manage to be cheerful.

Eventually they reached the gates of Mithlond and Silari went slightly tense, unsure about going to the new place. She knew she was accepted in Rivendell, but they were in a different realm now and the Elves who lived here had been more direct sufferers from the Kinslaying. Many of the residents had lived in the haven of Sirion before her father and uncles had attacked the place in the last Kinslaying. Hopefully Elrond's presence would help and protect her.

However, no one even commented on her presence and there didn't seem to have been any pause over her being part of the group.

That evening though, there was an awkward moment at dinner. They were staying in the palace of Cirdan the Mariner who ruled Mithlond at that time. He was definitely a survivor of the Kinslaying in Sirion.

Silari had been quiet all through the meal, trying not to bring attention to herself, when Cirdan had looked at her and asked a direct question.

"Lady Silari, I can't help noticing that you have a very unusual colour of hair for an Elf. May I enquire as to if you know where you got such an interesting shade of hair?" Silari just looked down at her plate, blushing profusely and sure that she was about to get chucked out humiliatingly. Thankfully, Elrond came to her rescue.

"The Lady Silari is a Peredhil, Cirdan. She has only recently joined our numbers and is still very unsure of her welcome among our kind. You must forgive her shyness for she has lost both her parents long ago and has only had a very short time to acclimatise to our people." Cirdan looked at Elrond in surprise, then took the hint and changed the subject to a less awkward one.

XXX

The next day, around noon, Celebrían boarded the ship with a few other Elves of both Rivendell and Lindon who were also sailing with her. Silari was one of the last Elves that Celebrían hugged. Both were openly crying.

Silari had grown fond of Celebrían in the few months since the attack and she had been one of the main people who had helped Silari acclimatise to the elven realm, though she suspected the help had been at least partly a mixture of distraction from the pain Celebrían always felt and a form of repaying Silari for coming to save her. Somehow, being the first friendly face Celebrían had seen made the lady associate Silari with rescue.

As she pulled back from the hug, she brushed away Silari's tears.

"Remember, Silari, you are not to blame for anything. Never blame yourself for something you are not responsible for. No one else blames you and we welcome you; never doubt that." Silari just nodded, unable to speak.

She could not speak at all for the entire time Celebrían was boarding the ship and when the sailors were preparing it to leave.

She did not leave the dock until she could no longer see the ship.

XXX

Eventually she returned to the palace and immediately went to find Elrond. He was in a study with Cirdan, talking about something. When she entered hesitantly he looked up at her.

"Yes, Silari, what do you require?" he asked her gently, conscious of how jumpy she was in this realm.

"I was wondering if you minded if I went for ride just outside the city? I need some fresh air and time alone please." She had grown very diffident over the last few months, a sort of defence mechanism to fit in with the people she desperately wanted to accept her.

"As long as you are not planning on running off. Also, it is near dinner time and will be getting dark soon; are you sure you want to go out tonight?" He looked concerned. Even though she was older than him, he would often treat her like one of his children. She rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Elrond, I have lived in the wilds for centuries uncounted, I will not have any trouble with the darkness and no, I will not run off, I have already promised to stay in Imladris with you. As for dinner, I have no appetite right now, I could not eat if I tried." Cirdan rose from his seat and rang a bell.

"I will have a picnic prepared for you to take with you just in case of you changing your mind, Lady." Elrond nodded at the bearded Elf, with a grateful smile. He had obviously been thinking the same thing.

XXX

When Silari had gone again, the two Elves sat back down.

"That was an interesting conversation, Elrond, particularly that comment about running off," Cirdan observed.

"She is, as I have already told you, of a nervous nature. Her first impulse in a situation she finds threatening is to run. I was worried that, with the stress of Celebrían leaving, she might consider your question last night at dinner as threatening and try running off." Cirdan's eyes widened significantly.

"Why would she consider that threatening?"

"Her past is a touchy subject; her mother was a human who died when she was very young and her father never acknowledged her as his child to protect her against the stigma it would carry for he had a less than stellar reputation. I always think she considered his behaviour towards her as a sign she was not loved. She left him to walk the wilds when she was fairly young before coming to us. Actually, we virtually had to force her to stay at first. It was only her affection for Celebrían that makes her stay, I think."

"Dare I ask who her father was?" Cirdan smiled lightly, right until he saw the hard look on Elrond's face.

"She has made me promise not to tell anyone that information, and I agree that it is not a good idea to spread it around. There is justification for many of her fears."

"I am afraid I don't understand at all, surely her father couldn't have been that bad?" Elrond gave him a closed, neutral look. It was likely he was not sure how to answer to question so Cirdan went on, changing the subject. "She has not been with you long, yet she seems to have bonded with Celebrían well." He nearly winced when he saw the expression of raw grief on his friend's face.

"She came to us because, in the course of her travels, happened to be near the cave Celebrían was being held in and heard a scream. Without a second thought, she attacked the Orcs to save whoever they were holding captive. Shortly afterwards, my sons arrived with the escort party. She was the first person to enter the chamber in which Celebrían was being held and held her all the way through my sons tending the injuries. When they had finished, they noticed that she had fallen unconscious due to a large poisoned injury on her arm. They brought her back with my wife to heal and she has been with us ever since. In that time she has bonded closely with my wife particularly." Cirdan nodded, understanding a bit but with many questions left to be answered about the red headed elleth.

XXX

Silari rode along the cliff, watching the sunset across the sea, thinking about everything, grieving or her newfound friend who she had lost almost before getting to know her.

As she rode, she heard – somewhere off in the distance – the sound of an Elf singing and her ears pricked up. Unless she was much mistaken, she knew that voice even though she had not heard it for millennia. Without hesitation, she pointed her horse towards the voice.

Not long after, she found a steep path down part of the cliff face and followed it down to a concealed cave, part way down the remote cliff. As she got closer to the cave mouth, the singing grew louder and she could hear the song of lament and grief, the fall of the Noldor – what she knew was a self-composition of the person she was sure was in the cave.

As she entered the cave mouth, leading her horse, she saw a gaunt figure sitting by a fire built against a wall a fair way into the cave. He was looking at her and had stopped singing the moment he had become aware of her presence.

"Adar?" she whispered. She had not seen him in so long she had thought him dead. His eyes widened significantly as he looked at her.

"Etyanárë – my child?" he asked hoarsely. Without a second thought, she flung herself into his outstretched arms. Maglor then buried his head in her shoulder as he held her close, squeezing the air out of her lungs. Eventually she pulled back from the embrace and examined her father, the only surviving son of Feanor.

"You are so thin, Adar! When did you last eat?" He looked down and swallowed.

"Not for a few days, I have not been able to catch any fish and the game round here is not good – at least not for an Elf on his own and who has to avoid civilisation." He frowned and trailed off as his daughter turned and removed the small pack from her saddle.

"Here, eat this, Adar, you need it and just now I could not eat if I tried." He looked at her in surprise as he opened the packet. Inside was a loaf of bread, several slices of meat and some fruit. He looked at her to make sure she was serious before trying not to wolf down the food. It was so rare for him to get a good meal now. The quality of the elven food was above anything he had had in so long, it was like a feast!

"What are you doing here, Etyanárë? I am glad to see you but..." He frowned again as he saw his only born child look down and begin fiddling with the skirt of her riding dress.

"I am here with Lord Elrond and his family to see off Lady Celebrían as she sails to the Undying Lands after an attack by Orcs," she whispered softly. She was so surprised to be dragged back into her father's arms.

"Oh, my dear one, you should never have to... wait! Do you mean you are accepted in Rivendell as one of their own? They do not mistreat you for being born of me? And surely if you are here to see someone off then you must have gone into Mithlond! Does that mean..." The stream of word was stopped by a gentle finger on his lips. His daughter now wore a soft, wistful smile on her lips.

"Let me tell you the whole story, Adar, it may help you understand, though I am still unsure whether I do though..." She told the whole story, from her first encounter with the Twins through the attack and subsequent healing to the acceptance – even with the knowledge of who her father was – of the lords and ladies, including Galadriel and Celeborn. By the end of the tale, Maglor had the widest eyes, not quite believing the tale.

"Do you mean that he has taken you into his family?" he asked. Another soft, though happier, smile graced Silari's face.

"Yes, Lord Celeborn gave me the new name Silari and I am now a member of the Peredhil household. Elrond teats me like one of his children half the time, I have yet to remind him that I am older than him." Maglor laughed for the first time in longer than he could recall.

"At least you are happy, my flame. You'd better go back soon; otherwise Elrond will worry over you even more. Thank you for the food, you have no idea how much I appreciate it." She grinned and hugged him again.

"I will try to get some more to you, if I can. We are leaving to go back to Rivendell in a couple of days though, so if I can manage it, I might have to leave it along our route." He smiled and held one last time before she left him again.

"Know this, Etyanárë. I do love you. No matter how I have behaved in the past, I always have and always will love you. I only did what I thought would be best for you, I never wished for any harm to come to you. Be well always, my flame."

XXX

"Your back very late, Silari. What on Arda were you doing out there?" She looked up at the Elf-lord and then down at the floor sheepishly.

"Can I talk to you in private, Lord Elrond? I mean really private." He nodded at her, confused, and led her to his room, sitting her down on a couch. "I accidently bumped into my father." She said shortly and watched Elrond's eyes widen.

"Your father is still alive? And he is near here?" She nodded.

"Though only just." Elrond raised his eyebrows in question, so she elaborated. "He is starving, I gave him all that food you insisted I take, but he will die of starvation before too long, I am sure." She looked up at him for a second. "I... I promised him I would try to get him more food, I couldn't just let him starve Elrond! _I couldn't_." She sounded almost hysterical and he could see she was on the verge of tears. Whatever she professed to feel about her father, she clearly still felt some familial ties.

"You would not be the Elf I think you are if you could, Silari. If you wish, I will help you get some more food to him; I still owe him for doing the best for Elros and me all those years ago." Silari's eyes went wide and she flung her arms around Elrond and she did finally burst into tears.

"Oh thank you, thank you!"


	6. Chapter 6

Etyanárë chapter 6

They had managed to acquire a fair amount of travel food and, on the pretext of going out for a picnic together away from Mithlond, went to the last place Silari had seen her father. She was rather surprised that Elrond went with her but didn't argue, especially as it meant she could take more food for her father hidden among their belongings.

Elrond had also insisted on getting a few other supplies at a market they had went through near the edge of town that he thought might be useful for the fallen Elf-prince.

It was a little after midday when they reached the path down to the cave and when they entered, they found a dead fire and Maglor wrapped in a tattered blanket and curled on the hard floor, still asleep. Elrond took her horse from her and gestured that she should go to him.

When she was a few inches from her father, she whispered to him. The reaction was immediate and betrayed the nervous life he lived. When he recognized his daughter, he relaxed again.

"Etyanárë! You came back." He seemed to find this strange.

"I got some help in my quest to put a few more pounds on you, Adar." He looked towards the entrance to the tall Elf-lord he had brought up after the loss of his parents.

"Elrond? You have changed since I last saw you." He blinked, still coming out of sleep. Elrond smiled at him and brought one of the food packages they had got for him.

"So have you, Maglor; Silari is right, though, if I had two sticks and some sheet music, I could play a tune on your ribs." They both laughed, though weakly on the part of Maglor. "Here, eat this, you need it." Maglor gratefully accepted the food and tried to eat it in a vaguely dignified way rather than inhaling it as he was so tempted to do.

"What are you doing here, Elrond?" Maglor asked between bites, only pride making him finish his last mouthful and asking the question before filling his mouth again.

"If both Silari and I came together then we could bring you rather more stuff and she was very worried about you. We have brought a fair amount of travel food, much of which is nutritious and will last you a while as well as a few other supplies." Maglor looked up from the chunk of bread he was eating and raised an eyebrow.

"Supplies?" he asked. Elrond nodded and smiled.

"Some blankets, several more arrow heads so you can hunt better, a new whet stone, a new set of travel clothes including boots and cloak, and a new knife. They are not of the best quality, but I had limited time to find the things and I thought something would be better than nothing."

"You have no idea how much I appreciate anything, Elrond." When Elrond showed signs of trying to disagree on that point Maglor carried on. "You would only be able to understand if you had spent millennia on the brink of starvation, strong enough to catch enough food to keep you strong enough to hunt, just, but not enough to be able to get any reasonable amount of food. If you had spent as long as I have near death, but unable to let yourself die, though that is all you crave for, some unconscious part of your mind preventing you from letting you die. I understand how Men feel now, some unknown force makes you keep yourself alive, even though life can get no worse and all you want is to die."

Silari had watched her father make that speech, heard the pain in his voice and could not help it. She pretended to be a hardened warrior, but she could not help feeling for the person who had sired her. She thought _her_ life had been hard.

Maglor seemed slightly surprised when she flung her arms round him and buried her head in his shoulders.

They talked for as long as they thought they could before leaving. Just before they left though, Maglor took Silari aside from Elrond.

"Etyanárë, I know I have never been the best father to you but please know that I _do_ love you, not matter what. I always loved you and I did try to protect you." He paused and took a deep breath, "I think I will be able to die in peace now, I think what was holding me back was that I need to know that you are fine and looked after. Please allow Elrond to look after you, my flame, and don't grieve me too much, life is more painful than it is worth anymore. Remember always that I do love you and so did your mother."

Tear shining in her eyes, she flung them round her father's neck and kissed his cheek.

"I love you Ada, I always will," she whispered. They held close to each other for a long while before Maglor went off to thank Elrond profusely, who tried to brush off the thanks. He still seemed pleased at them though.

Just as they were about to leave the cave, Silari pulled away from her horse and let go of the reins then ran and hugged her father once more and then returned to her horse and called back.

"Farewell, Ada, I love you!"

XXX

That night at dinner Cirdan didn't say anything but he seemed to be watching Silari closely, curiously.

After dinner, fairly late into the evening when Elrond probably wouldn't find out and definitely not until after the ancient Elf had got what he wanted, Cirdan asked for Silari to and see him. She was rather nervous of this private meeting, but it would be bad manners to refuse to come and so she turned up.

Once he had handed her a glass and carefully place himself in a position which blocked the door, Cirdan turned to the nervous elleth and spoke,

"Who was it that you and Elrond visited today?" Silari's head snapped up, her eyes wide and disturbed. "I presume it is the person you bumped into last night when you went out riding." If possible, she went paler than she already was.

"How do you know that?" she whispered.

"I heard you talking. Incidentally, why do you say that your parents are dead, it is clear that your father at least is still alive?" Silari let out a gasp, how much did he know?

"I have not seen my father in many centuries; that was the first time since my majority and will probably be the last time. He is dying." Cirdan looked at her, slightly shocked. He could tell he had hit a sore point.

"Who is your father, though? Why was it necessary for you and Elrond to get things from a market that you could have just as easily got in the palace and of better quality too?" She looked at him for a long moment, trying to work out what to say. How not to give it away?

"My father is not a very popular person, My Lord. It is best that no one knows he is near." Cirdan looked at her, confused. He then moved over to her, put his own wine glass down on the table next to her, took hers and placed it next to his. He then knelt down and took her hands and looked into her downturned face where she had been trying to hide from his gaze. He hoped the position was suitably non-threatening to her.

"Please, who is your father? If you do tell me, I promise not to tell. I will not break your confidence." She looked at his face, still clearly disturbed.

"No! You will hurt him!" It was Cirdan's turn to look disturbed.

"What? I would never hurt another Elf! Why do you say that? Who is he that you would fear so?" Silari rose, pulling herself away from the silver haired Elf-lord. She tried to get to the door when he took her shoulder. "Please, just tell me who he I..."

"No!"

"But..."

"No! It is better this way, My Lord, believe me." With that she pulled from him and left the room.

Cirdan cursed under his breath and ordered the guards to ensure that she did not leave unless with the rest of Elrond's party. He did not want the fascinating elleth to run away, Elrond would never forgive him.

XXX

Silari looked back from the top of the horse, glad to be leaving and getting away from the Lord of Mithlond, but sad for she knew she had probably seen the last of her father ever.

She sighed deeply, how could a place elicit so many emotions, and so many of them bad, yet not actually be a bad place? She was sure she would not be returning to Mithlond for a long time. It would be too much to hope that Cirdan wouldn't be there even when she did for she knew he was loathed to stay until the last ships sailed.

She then turned and spurred her horse on to the front of the group, and looked back one more time before the Grey Havens fell out of view.


	7. Chapter 7

Etyanárë Chapter 7

For the next several years, Silari spent her time in the Last Homely House, a term she was beginning to understand now she had let herself relax there. Most of that time was spend studying and catching up on the things that she had missed running round in the wild.

Her knowledge of world events was broad, but very vague, and for the first time, she was able to study in peace. Erestor loved her though, she was the first elleth and student he had discovered which seemed to enjoy his lessons that had turned up in a long time, even for an Elf.

After a little while, Elrond allowed her to train with the guards, she having made her points for allowing her to carry on fighting training and thereby showing that she had been listening in her lessons on debating. Many of the guard made the mistake of underestimating her. They only did that once.

It was after a couple of years training with the guards that Elrond finally decided to let her out on patrol, she having shown she was not planning on leaving the haven. Even then, it took a while for him to allow her out on the longer patrol that went further from the city. For some reason, Silari felt that he didn't really have much faith in the notion that she was not planning on escaping at the first opportunity.

Eventually though, he even trusted her enough to allow her to join the Twins on their frequent revenge hunts against the Orcs. She had grown very fond of Celebrían in the short time she had known her and had a whole new motive for destroying the foul spawn of Morgoth.

Morgoth, now that was a person she could happily stick a knife through.

XXX

It was on one of these trips that she found it, or to be more precise, him.

'Him' being the body of her father, curled up in a cave and wrapped in the blanket that Elrond had got for him. He couldn't have been dead all that long because, inaccessible as the cave was, animals could still get to him and the body had not been attacked by anything.

When the Twins had seen the body she was knelt by, staring blankly at it, they both placed a hand on her shoulders.

"Is that?" He didn't need to finish his question, she knew what he was asking. She nodded softly and one of them, she didn't know which, knelt down beside her and hugged her. The simple act of comfort broke the damn and she burst into floods of tears against his shoulder.

One of them stayed with her while the other went outside to find a suitable place to make a grave. Whichever one it was with her helped her prepare the body, as best as they could, and gave it as many of the rites as possible. Maglor may have spent most of his eternal life in emotional and then physical agony, but he was at least buried with respect.

They took his possessions which remained in the cave with them and returned to Rivendell for an extended stay, allowing Silari time to grieve her father. It was only after a while that she realised how close he had been to Rivendell, especially considering his exile. He had clearly been staying close because he knew she lived in the haven. Whether he had been hoping to run into her again or what she did not know, but he had stayed near his daughter and that thought made her want to cry even more.

XXX

A few nights after they had returned to Rivendell, she finally got up the nerve to go through her father's belongings which the Twins had brought back.

Unsurprisingly there was absolutely no food in there, but all the other stuff that she and Elrond had got for him remained, each item well cared for. There were also several things in there that Silari recognised from her childhood, including a drawing of her mother that her father had made and a few other mementoes. These was actually surprisingly little in a way.

The last things that she found however were a pen, parchment and sealing wax with his old seal, one very similar to the one Silari still carried. Amongst the parchment was a letter in rather scrappy writing, like the author had not written in a very long time and was out of practice.

It was addressed to her, using both her Sindarin and her Quenya names.

Instead of opening it, she just stared at it in non-comprehension. She looked at it, placed it on the bed and paced around a bit, somehow totally unsure how to deal with the fact that her father had written her a letter. So absorbed in her thoughts on the letter she had yet to open, she failed to notice dinner time arrive. She had also forgotten that Elrond would be coming to get her for dinner, something the males of the family had taken up doing as a way of helping her through her grief. They seemed to think that it was a way of giving her space while still keeping a caring eye on her.

When he entered, he saw her looking distressed and immediately went over to her, now sitting at her desk with the letter on the wood in front of her. As he spotted the letter, his eyes widened. He looked at her for a second and then went to the door and called a servant. He asked the elleth to present his apologies at the meal and to bring to meals to the room. With that done, he returned to the desk and picked up the letter and slit it open, knowing Silari was not going to do it, not without help. He then read the letter out to her.

_My dear little flame,_

_If you are reading this letter, then you know I am dead. Please do not grieve me too greatly, for I died content in the knowledge you are well looked after. My last wish is for you to receive the last of my possessions and most importantly, for you to know that I have always and will always loved you totally. Please go on to spend your life as happily as possibly, not dwelling on what I have done wrong or your relationship to me. I want you to get married, have children and find your way to Valinor, it is stunning there and I know you will love it, my little flame._

_Until the end of time when, if the grace of Eru allows it, we shall be reunited,_

_You eternally loving father,_

_M._

Silari stared at Elrond wide-eyed before flinging herself into his arms and sobbing until she drifted off to sleep.

XXX

The next several years were spent much as the previous had been, though Silari's part in the Twins revenge hunts now also included helping her deal with her grief her for her father. Somehow, removing the Morgoth spawn from the face of Arda helped for that meant she was clearing the planet free from evil and it also provided a distraction from her emotional turmoil.

Several times she visited Arwen in Lorien, though each visit was short for, though she knew the Lord and Lady accepted her, she still had trouble dealing with the rest of the population. Even so, she began to grow a little more confident in her welcome as time went on.

XXX

In 2933 Silari and the Twins were out on another of their revenge hunts, this time combined with a trip to visit the Dunedain of the North.

As they were riding across the hills, they all heard at the same time a feminine scream, so similar to one they had heard before and then the calls of some Men.

Without a second thought from any of the group, they rode towards the scream and crested a hill that led to a blind gully, the perfect spot for an ambush. Which was exactly what had happened.

Inside the gully was a group of Dunedain, with a young woman at the centre of the group and a toddler on her saddle.

The twins went out to either side, hacking at the Orcs and their Warg mounts while Silari rode into the middle of the group to the young woman. When she reached the young woman, the Men having spotted her elven features and allowed her through, she took the reins and led her away.

"I am Silari of Rivendell, come with me and I will get you and your child to safety while the men destroy the Orcs." The woman nodded, clearly relieved that someone was telling her what to do.

Silari led the horse out of the group and hacked her way out of the front group, destroying any Orc or Warg who got near enough for her to hit. Once they were away from the Orcs, she urged both horses onto a gallop, going as fast as the human horse could take.

Once they were a reasonable distance from the attack, Silari changed course, slowing the horses down to conserve them, and led the humans to a small defensible cave she had discovered in the course of her earlier itinerant existence.

Once the horses were at the back of the cave, Silari checked the local area and hid their tracks from sight while still making it possible for the Twins to find her and then turned to the woman and child.

"Out of curiosity, who are you?" she asked.

"I am Gilraen, wife of Arathorn, chief of the Dunedain, and this is my son Aragorn."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

It wasn't until the next morning that the Twins and several Rangers turned up near the cave, all of which were sporting injuries of some kind. When Silari signalled to Gilraen that it was safe to come out, she rushed to the group.

"Where is Arathorn?" Were the first words out of her mouth. One of the humans near the front of the group looked at her with great sadness in his face and he seemed to be trying to find a way to say whatever it was he had to say. She seemed to realise what he had to say without words though. "H-he can't be! He's not dead, he can't be!" she carried on, shaking her head.

She seemed totally distraught and unable to take it in.

"I'm afraid he is, My Lady, the rest of the men are burying his body, along with the other men we lost. We have decided that, at least for the time being, we will take you to Rivendell with the two Lords and the Lady Elf. It is safer there, especially for little Lord Aragorn." Gilraen nodded mutely, face pale, and then looked around for her son. She found him curled up in Silari's arms.

Silari had never held a child before, but it seemed the right thing to do, the little boy not yet having noticed his mother's distress. When she handed the boy to his mother, he looked up and stared at her.

"Mama, where papa?" he asked softly.

"I don't know, Aragorn, I don't know," she whispered quietly as she sobbed into the little boy's soft curly hair.

XXX

They had reached Rivendell and Elrond had immediately agreed to take the boy and his mother in for however long it was needed. Shortly after, it was decided to rename him Estel for as long as he resided in Rivendell.

While everyone grieved the fallen Chieftain, Estel seemed blissfully unaffected and his occasional register of something wrong was to ask where his papa was. Each time he asked, Gilraen's eyes would begin to water and she looked about to cry so Silari took over. Silari had been staying round the grieving woman to offer support, being one of the few women in the haven who understood what the human woman was feeling.

Consequently, Silari began to discover that she was quite good with children, often taking over toddler care when Gilraen was over come again. Therefore, the little boy absolutely adored her. He also dubbed her 'Ri, as he could not pronounce Silari. She took the name with good humour, vowing to teach him how to say her name properly at the first opportunity. She had a feeling 'Ri would stick though.

XXX

As with Celebrían, Silari made close friends with her, but unlike with Celebrían, Gilraen healed. She was never completely healed from the grief, but she still managed to carry on.

Everyone took to Estel, who revelled in the attention and fuss the Elves lavished on him. Children, especially in times of war, were rare among the Elves and the presence of the sweet natured, caring little boy sent most of the Elves all soft. Normally boring and serious Elves could suddenly be seen playing with the boy or doing ridiculous things just to entertain him.

What they didn't realise was that Silari would always sit quietly in the background, ostentatiously keeping an eye on Estel while drawing pictures of these amusing events. She wasn't sure what she was going to use the pictures for, but she thought they would be amusing to keep and make good blackmail material if necessary. Many of the Elves would die of shame if actually caught doing animal impressions and other ridiculous things.

XXX

When Estel became old enough to train, Silari was the first to start teaching him, gentler and closer to the child than most. It was not long after that the Twins returned from a trip to Lorien and joined in helping out. They also began to corrupt the boy's sense of humour, much to the chagrin of Elrond.

XXX

The year Aragorn turned ten, Rivendell had some interesting visitors. Thirteen Dwarves and a Perniath, or 'Hobbit' as he called himself, arrived with Gandalf. The moment she found out the Istari was part of the group, Silari fled to the other side of Rivendell and hid. She did not want to run into a servant of the Valar, she was too scared of what he might say.

XXX

Gandalf sat himself down by the fire and took the glass of wine from Elrond and looked at him curiously.

"Thank you, mellon nin, now what is this delicate matter you need to talk with me about?"

"Have you heard of the Lady Silari, a member of my house?" Gandalf nodded.

"Yes, when I went through Mithlond a while back, I talked to Cirdan. He mentioned her, and the fact he found her most curious. He seemed to think you were lying about her being an orphan from something he overheard and mentioned that she was both very cagey and skittish while there. He also seemed to think you knew what was really going on with her father as well. It was a very curious account. I had hoped to meet her while I was here, actually." Elrond watched him, wide-eyed with surprise. How had Cirdan found out so much?

"At the time he was right, her father was not dead but later on she found him dead in a cave. Best bet would be that he starved to death. The reason she is so skittish, though not so much now, is what is delicate. What I need to find out from you is whether she can sail to Valinor." Gandalf looked up at the Elf in confusion.

"Why wouldn't she be? Only Kinslayers are banned from Aman now, or those with the Kinslayers as in the case of Galadriel." Elrond bit his lip in a most un-lordly manner.

"Do you swear to keep this in confidence, Mithrandir? It is very important to Silari that as few people know this as possible. Both she and her father consider, or considered in her father's case, it imperative that it remains as closed secret as possible." Gandalf nodded, getting even more curious by the minute.

"She is the only child of Maglor, the second son of Feanor and a human. She considerers her status as his daughter to mean the ban exists on her as well, though she was only just born at the time of the last Kinslaying. We grew up together and I am rather fond of her so I wish to know also." The Istar's eye had widened to the size of dinner plates.

"He had a daughter? And with a _human_? How come no one knows of this?" Gandalf seemed shocked out of his mind with this new piece of information.

"Maglor deliberately kept it a secret and never acknowledged her as his child to protect her from the stigma of being his daughter. He always wanted her to have as normal life as possible. He loved her dearly and though she tries to hide it, I think she loves him too. She was absolutely distraught when she found his body."

"Silari seems an interesting name for her; I wonder where he got it." The Maia mused to himself.

"He named her Etyanárë, not Silari. When my sons brought her back after she had gone to the rescue of Celebrían, she stayed here for a little while, mostly at my insistence. At that point, she would not believe she was welcome here and so we had to find her a way of convincing her of her welcome. Celeborn suggested a name change might be helpful as 'exiled flame' is not exactly going to encourage a person to feel accepted." Gandalf smiled slightly at that.

"For your question, Elrond, I do not know the answer. I see no reason why she would be banned from entering Valinor, all I can do though is ask my lord. I would like to meet her though, I think actually knowing her and as much about her as possible would help me make case for her." Elrond nodded, satisfied with that, at least they had made the first step to finding out.

XXX

Silari however, proved hard to find. Though the guards reported that she had not left the haven, she did not seem to be anywhere she was expected to be. She did not turn up to meals and seemed to have stopped eating all together. She clearly did not want to face a chance of meeting the Maia.

One day though, Gandalf was leaning against the railings in one of the more remote parts of the house, enjoying the scenery, when he heard a noise and saw an Elf standing not far from him. She had clearly just come round the corner and spotted him. She was also very white and tried to turn and run away. In her haste though, she fell over her skirts and went flying across the floor. She seemed reluctant to accept Gandalf's help in rising though.

"I am guessing that you are Silari then - the lady who seems to leave more mystery than answer where ever she goes. I was hoping to meet you." She nodded at him quietly, having seen that she was not going to get out of this one.

They talked for the better part of the afternoon, well mostly Gandalf talked and Silari tried to find a polite way to escape the grey haired Istar who seemed so inquisitive but gave away little.

"Silari, I do not know if you can enter the Undying Lands, but I will try and find out, I will also try to defend your side with my master for I do not believe you deserve to be punished for something you have no control over. Now please come back or eat something at least, you are worrying Elrond immensely and Estel has been missing you as well. I hope you can see I am not as scary as I apparently seem, for I am not trying to scare you." He nodded at her and walked off, knowing in his heart that she would probably carry on running from him.

XXX

As Gandalf had thought, Silari did not turn up again while he was there, but chose to remain hidden from view. When she did finally come back into view, Elrond was much dismayed to see that much of her timidity had returned.

Shortly after her return, Gilraen took the Elf-lord aside in concern.

"Lord Elrond, what is wrong with Silari? Do you know why she had become so shy?" He looked at the human, trying to think of a way to explain while keeping Silari's confidence.

"She has had a very difficult childhood and spent much of her adult life in a self-imposed exile that she felt was imposed on her because a relative had committed some great crimes and that her relation to him would make it so she was held responsible. She was unfortunately at least partially right, but one question remains as is to whether the Valar will punish her for his crimes, as they have been known to do in the past." Gilraen's eyes widened. "I am sorry it is hard to explain this while keeping her confidence on the matter but, suffice to say, the representative of the Valar has scared her greatly as he has brought her insecurities to the front simply by being here and it has made her very timid, something I had hoped we had cured her of after the better part of 500 years." That comment made Gilraen's eyebrows shoot into her hairline.

"She has been here five hundred years, yet most of her adult hood was spent in some sort of exile? How old is she?" Elrond smiled, even after years round the Elves, the human woman still had trouble dealing with immortality.

"She is slightly older than me actually, not that anyone would believe it. The only way she ever shows her true age is in terms of cynicism. Very few people realise she is a Peredhil Elf of the First Age." Elrond smiled at the shocked look on Gilraen's face.

"But you act like her father!" Elrond threw his head back and laughed.

"You would not be the first to comment on that and most probably not the last either."

The conversation descended out of any serious form at that point, and little came of it bar the decision for Gilraen to help bring Silari back out of her shell.


	9. Chapter 9

Here it, i know i told people that it would be up either wednesday evening or thurdays. Something went wrong with and even though it told it to post and the 'my story' said this was up. Since i logged off and in again it showed up as not having been posted so sorry to all those waiting for the next chapter, to make up for the long wait, i will post chapter 10 slightly early, probably before i go to Basingstoke for the Sealed Knot re-enactment Rumrum is in.

GaiaCaecilia

Etyanárë chapter 9

Eight years later saw the start of Estel joining his first patrol, which was, like with Silari's, very near Rivendell itself. Much to the relief of everyone, it went off without a hitch and was fairly routine. Estel however was disappointed that he had failed to see any action. He was the only one who felt this way, unsurprisingly.

After this, Silari began to join him on patrols, having taken a 16 year break while Estel was growing up. Though the boy had realised that she was lethal, he had never seen her actually in the wilds before and was more than slightly shocked by it.

Once again as Silari had done it, the patrols Estel went on slowly became more dangerous and far away from Rivendell.

When Estel was twenty he finally joined the twins on what was technically termed a patrol but was more in the nature of a scouting missing, exploring outside the borders of Rivendell for any sign of Orc activity. This was of vital importance as earlier that year Sauron had publically declared himself, for lack of a better phrase.

In what Silari was becoming to consider the inevitable when she was with the twins, they got attacked by a large bunch of orcs, with apparently no way out. If she hadn't been concentrating on the spawn of mordor she would have rolled her eyes.

Estel proved remarkable. Even though he could not move nearly as quietly as the three peredhil, he managed to surprise the orc, jumping on them and slashing with the light bladed sword and destroying a large number of the monsters before they even knew what hit them. All three peredhil were suitably proud of him.

A month later they returned to Rivendell with much information, a surprising amount discovered by Estel, and even more surprisingly was the fact that none of them were injured. Well that had to be a record for the books.

When they did arrive Elrond was watching them with a curious look, like he was trying whether to decide on something and his gaze kept coming to rest on Estel. He also seemed brighter and happier than usual. Silari wasn't sure what was up and didn't get a chance to ask as, the moment they had finished greeting each other, Elrond asked the twins to come to his office as soon as they had changed.

Silari was not sure how long that conversation lasted but during she also got called in after dinner. Curiously, she went to the rather formal office of Lord Elrond, wondering what he wanted to ask her, not to mention what he had asked the twins.

When she entered, after knocking gently, Elrond looked up at her and smiled with a preoccupied look on his face. He remained preoccupied as she took the seat opposite him. He then proceeded to look speculatively at her for a few minutes before actually speaking. He was beginning to scare her.

"Silari, you are aware of Estel's heritage?" She nodded.

"He is the son of Arathorn, chieftain of the dunadain." She frowned at him, wondering where this was going.

"And the last direct descendant of my brother Elros." Her eyes widened. She knew Elros chose to be human from her history and, well, she had never put together the bits she knew to form the conclusion that the Chieftains of the Dunadain were the direct descendants of Elros. Well that added interest to life. Elrond just smiled at her widening eyes.

"What has this got to do with anything though?" She was confused.

"I was wondering about your opinion on whether you thought him mature enough now to be told about his heritage. Gilraen and I have talked about it and decided to ask you and the twins about your opinions after this trip as you three are probably those who know him best in the situations most like those he will have to experience when he rejoins his people." She nodded at him , finally understanding what was going on.

She leaned back in her chair, considering it seriously. After a few minutes contemplation she finally spoke again.

"I think he is ready Elrond, he is getting very good, especially for a human. He was very helpful on this trip, we ran into some large groups of orcs on our way." He arched an eyebrow, the twins had evidently done their usual trick of selective memory where the danger value of any given trip was concerned. They felt this would help prevent their father from worrying about what they were doing. Instead he usually came and asked Silari about the true danger value.

"So you think it is time to tell him then?"

"Waiting a few months won't make any difference to his readiness, he will be just as ready but some useful time may have been wasted. The world is getting to be a very dangerous place and even to elves a few months are getting to be a significant period of time. Many things can happen in a few months." Elrond nodded at the wisdom of this.

XXX

THe next day saw Silari sitting in the library with Gilraen who was fretting about how her son would take the revelation. Just before midday the young man wandered into the room, looking contemplative. His head shot up when he realised that there was someone else in the room.

"Nana! Silari! What are you doing here?" He then looked at them and they both saw the dawning in his eyes as he realised that they knew about the conversation he had just had with Elrond. His brow wrinkled in a flood of emotions. "You knew about who I was all this time and you didn't tell me?" Gilraen nodded mutely.

"Your mother knew fully, I knew some of it. I left elfin civilisation before Elros became the king of Númenor and did not rejoin it until just under 500 years ago. The nomadic nature of my life in between those times meant I was unaware of the relationship." He looked up at them from the floor he had been scuffing with his foot.

"But you knew all this time and didn't tell me..."

"Estel, Aragorn we didn't tell you because you needed protection. We changed your name to protect you from the things that killed you father. In case you have failed to notice it, Sauron has openly declared himself and the world is not safe. Knowledge is power and keeping the knowledge of your identity and whereabouts from Sauron protected you from him." He looked at them and nodded before leaving again.

XXX

A little after lunch there was a galloping in the court yard. Silari went to the main entrance with everyone else, noticing Estel's absence from the gathering. He had gone off to one of the further gardens of Rivendell to think things over.

When she got to the court yard she remembered Elrond telling her something. Arwen had come home!

Once her family had finished greeting her she came to Silari who promptly pulled her into a hug. Silari had always been fond of Arwen and was glad she was back in Rivendell; she could have a good girly conversation with someone she had no need to hide anything from again.

Arwen seemed equally happy to see Silari again and returned the embrace enthusiastically.

Shortly after that Arwen was lead from the courtyard by her family and friends, chatting animatedly. Everyone was glad to see her back in Rivendell, and the house once again had a lady to care for it.

XXX

The next night was when anyone actually saw Aragorn again and he seemed pensive. Then at dinner, Arwen came in and the young human's face lit up and she smiled a secretive smile at him. Elrond was about to introduce her when she spoke.

"We have already met Ada, earlier today on one of the lawns when I was dancing." Elrond seemed slightly flawed by that.

Throughout the meal there were covert looks passing between the two and it was rather exasperating. The two of them clearly thought that they were being subtle but Silari was sure that she wasn't the only one who had noticed.

After dinner Elrond called them to his office again.

"Did you three see those looks Arwen and Estel were throwing at each other all through the meal? Do you have any idea what those were about?" He asked in confusion, his face showing that he did not seem too impressed by whatever he thought it could be.

"I was windering that too Ada, I wonder if it could have anything to do with their 'meeting on the lawns'." Asked Elrohir. Silari suddenly giggled softly and slammed her hand over her mouth. She thought she knew what it was about. Everyone else looked at her strangely.

"I think whatever it is has a lot to do with the fact that they are both attractive young people who are fairly exotic to each other. I think it might be what the humans call a 'crush'." She couldn't help it; she collapsed in a fit of giggles. The look on the twins and Elrond's face was highly amusing. They looked like they didn't know what had hit them, probably because they were so used to thinking of each of the two in question as the children of Elrond it hadn't occurred to them that the pair could be attracted to each other.


	10. Chapter 10

Etyanárë chapter 10

Not long after the revelation of his heritage Aragorn left for the dunadain lands. Gilraen was not the only person near to tears to see him go, though they had come to the conclusion that unless he asked for company then they would let him go on his own as this whole thing was clearly important to him. It did help that he had met the dunadain before when they came through Rivendell and they would recognise him for who he was.

A year or so after that Silari rode out for another trip, this time down south, for she wished to visit Gondor a bit. The place was not that interesting, all formality and puffed up merchants and lords, or nervous fawning peasants, who could spot a noble lady when they saw one and were scared of her. Silari had a suspicion that many Gondorian nobles were not very nice and anyone with a bit of prestige seemed to have a superiority complex, turning to boot licking with those clearly above them. It rather annoyed her to say the least.

It was at the start of the year 2953 that she returned to Rivendell, by elfin reckoning - their year starting in spring as opposed to in winter among the humans.

When she arrived she was greeted by more than she expected to be. Apart from Elrond's family there was also Cirdan, an elf she was not really that enthusiastic to meet again. She absently wondered why he was here.

His greeting settled some of her nerves, for he was perfectly cordial to her, even though there was a strange twinkle in his eye and that curiosity that had been there at her last meeting with the ellon was definitely there now. She also noticed that he had let his silver beard grow a bit longer.

He also remained cordial throughout dinner, though he did keep looking at her, like there was something else on his mind but he thankfully did not ask awkward questions. Even so, Silari left the table rather quickly and went back to her room, forgoing the entertainments in the hall of fire.

When she got back to her room she got out her father's last letter to her and a few other possessions of his before curling up on a chair to look at them. Not long later she dozed off with his signet ring still clasped in her hand.

She was woken by a gentle knocking on her door. Still half asleep, she called in whoever the person was. To her horror, it was Cirdan and she only realised she still had her father's stuff out when it was far too late to go hide it without being really obvious. She would have to hope that he wouldn't notice or something.

No such luck.

He examined the things on the table with the curious eye she was getting used to seeing on him. As he looked around she tried to move from the ungraceful position she had slipped into in her sleep. When he noticed her attempts to move into a better position, he came over and helped her. With his help she got back into a normal sitting position with the minimum of fuss, though she pressed down on the hand holding the ring in the attempt and dropped it. To her absolute horror, Cirdan picked up the ring and examined it, then went an interesting shade of white.

"This is the signet ring of Maglor! How come you have it in your position?" He looked at her almost accusingly, then looked at the other items in front of her closer as she tried to think of an answer. Almost to distract without lying she said something.

"I buried him." Cirdan looked at her in shock for a second before going back to the items for a second before turning his piercing blue gaze on her.

"Who is Etyanárë?" He barely stopped talking before starting again, having seen her reaction. "You are Etyanárë, are you not?" Suddenly his eyes widened as he examined her features more closely, then looked at the ring in her hand and the letter on the table. "You are his child are you not? You are the last descendant of Feanor!"

Silari could not vocalise an answer and simply nodded, absolutely terrified. She knew Elrond was wrong when he had insisted she stay, she knew that one day someone who would not accept her would find out then everything would go downhill, she knew it. Through the panic, she failed to notice that he did not seem to be doing the whole condemn the evil one thing that she was expecting.

In fact, she only came down from her panic when she noticed that Cirdan was crouched in front of her with a hand on her face gently stroking her cheek. It did not even nearly dispel the panic she was feeling though.

"I will go away, just don't..." She finally managed to get out.

"No!" She looked up at him, fear rising back up in her eyes. He saw it. "I meant, no – don't leave. I don't want you to go. I will keep your secret Silari, just please don't leave where I cannot find you again." She raised an eyebrow despite everything.

"Why would you want to find me again?" Much to her surprise, a splash of red appeared on each of his cheeks and he looked down in embarrassment.

"I don't want not to see you again... I want to be able to, to find you and get to know you." He stuttered through, totally failing to look and sound like the great elf lord he was. Hesitantly, Silari reached out a hand and touched his cheek, gently stroking his beard. She was rather surprised, she knew human beards were quite rough but his was of the softest silk and she found she wanted to touch it more, it felt so nice.

She then found that words had ceased to be necessary and slid off her chair onto his knees when he was crouching in front of her. Not caring that he was the source of her fear, she curled into his arms as her wrapped them round her and took comfort in his embrace.

She did not know how long they sat, curled up together but when they pulled apart it had gone from twilight to darkness. When he left he said two words. Don't leave. She had touched his cheek in reassurance. No words were necessary.

XXX

The next day she went to the further reaches of Rivendell to the area she went when she didn't want to meet Elrond's guests for various reasons. In this case it was Gandalf and Saruman, the two istari who were also visiting for some reason. Silari guessed there was some political reason for it as the presence of the lord of Mithlond, Erond, two istari and Galadriel in the same place at the same time was no coincidence.

They would not arrive for a week or so yet but she was getting her hideout ready. As she was dawdling through the woods on her way back to Rivendell proper she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder to find Cirdan standing behind her. When they looked at each other, both blushed.

"I hope I didn't interrupt you, I just wanted to talk." He whispered; he seemed no more inclined to raise his voice in this peaceful area than she did.

"No," She smiled shyly at him, "I – I don't like being around when Elrond has too many visitors and since he seems to be having every important elf or Istar he can get his hands on as guest next week I decided to set up my hideaway so I didn't have to be around them, particularly the two istari. I don't mind Mithrandir too much but, though I have never met Saruman, I just do not trust him at all. There is something wrong about him." Cirdan watched her, a slight frown wrinkling his forehead.

It was then that Silari noticed that while she had been talking, Cirdan had slipped his arm round her waist and was holding her in a way similar to that of lovers. Thinking that propriety probably dictated against it, she leant into the embrace and felt the comforting warmth as he tightened his arms.

She had never been a particularly tactile person, probably because there had never been anyone who would hug her or whatever (well until Estel entered their lives), but she found she enjoyed his hold more than she felt she should. She could not, however, pull away.

They wandered through the woods until they ended up at one of the more secret and picturesque waterfalls of Rivendell. When there she led him to a large flat stone by the pool and gently pulled him down onto it and they sat in silence for a few minutes before Cirdan finally spoke.

"I am sorry if I seemed presumptuous…" He trailed off in the face of her rather sardonic expression. Rather deliberately, she curled into his embrace more and snuggled into his chest.

"If I objected, I wouldn't be doing this now, would I?" He smiled at her and lifted her chin so he could look her in the eyes.

"If you didn't mind that then would you mind me kissing you?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. She stared at him with wide eyes, totally shocked. This elf seemed to have a talent for keeping her off balance.

"You want to kiss me?" She asked him dumbly. He nodded at her, a nervous smile on his face. After a few seconds thought, she nodded at him nervously. His smile brightened and his eyes began to twinkle as he leant in to her and gently brushed her lips. He drew back for a few seconds before plunging in for a proper kiss.

Silari was not sure what to do exactly as she had never been kissed but, rather hesitantly, she kissed him back. It was not that long until he pulled away from her but she was already breathless and inclined to lean back in for more. She flushed a rather deep shade of pink and looked down.

"I'm sorry if…" Cirdan started before she put her fingers to his lips.

"Don't apologize; it is just that I have never been…" His eyes widened as he realized what the end of the unfinished sentence was. He touched her cheek with his finger tips and then stroked her cheek gently.

"You have never kissed anyone before? Surely there are many Ellyn who have tried for it yet you decide to favour me with that gift. You did not even like me until very recently, what have I done to deserve such a gift?" He was still stroking her cheek, looking at her like he had been shown the gates of Valinor.

"I have failed to notice these many Ellyn you mention, then again I have never been that interested in looking for an ellon. When you are over the age of the lord of the land then there are not very many single Ellyn you want to look at." She smiled at him hesitantly before leaning in and kissing him again. They kissed for a little while before pulling back.

"You are older than Elrond?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

"By a year or two, not that anyone would believe it the way he behaves like my father. Incidentally, if he gets wind of a relationship between us then you probably will get the whole fatherly talk from him, never mind that we are both older than him." Cirdan just threw his head back and laughed. When he brought it back he was shaking it gently and grinning.


	11. Chapter 11

Etyanárë chapter 11

Over the next few days, the two carried on courting secretly. Meanwhile they also carried on stocking up Silari's hiding place. She had been a little unsure about showing him her hiding place at first, but as she had grown used to the presence of the ancient Elf-lord, she had grown rather less skittish.

During that time, several gifts appeared in her sitting room and she did not have to think too hard about where they came from. The twinkle in Cirdan's eyes told her all she needed to know. For an Elf who was either an unbegotten one, or born of an unbegotten one and therefore way over 10,000 years old, he sure could act like a child at times. It wasn't that she minded, it was just that she found it a bit peculiar.

The night before the arrival of Galadriel and Celeborn, they were all sitting at the table over dessert when Elrond spoke to Silari.

"Silari, I know you do not like parties and such, but the one tomorrow night for Galadriel and Celeborn I expect you to be at. They both want to see you as they are fond of you and, just in case you forgot, you and Galadriel are actually cousins so it would be nice for you to actually be there to greet her." Silari nodded and grinned. Then Cirdan spoke up,

"Don't worry, Silari, I will protect you from anything scary!" He was grinning and anyone could tell he was teasing her. Most of the room seemed a little confused as the pair had not shown any great familiarity yet, but Elrond's eyes were widening significantly as he realised that what he had just said was dangerously close to giving away who she was and, to his knowledge at least, Cirdan did not know her heritage. Silari caught the steadily widening eyes and grinned at him.

"Don't worry Elrond, he already knows." That made everyone in the room go bug-eyed.

"How? When?" asked one very shocked Elrond.

"Oh, a few days ago I was looking at Ada's things and fell asleep. I was woken up by Cirdan knocking on my door and I invited him in before I realised that I still had Ada's things out because I was still asleep. Cirdan looked at some of the things and then worked it out." Slightly abbreviated and conveniently forgetting a few details but oh well.

Elrond looked at the two Elves in surprise. Both were staring back with carefully neutral looks and he could clearly tell that there was more going on than either were mentioning, but he also guessed that they were not planning on telling him anymore.

"You both seem to be taking it rather well, better than I would have thought you would. After all, Silari is still here and hasn't run off yet."

"She did offer to, actually, but I stopped her." Cirdan was treated to a death glare from the elleth in question.

"Any particular reason why?" Erestor put in slyly. Both Elves went an interesting shade of pink and suddenly seemed very interested in dessert again. Suddenly one of the Twins wolf-whistled, obviously having worked it out.

"Aw, Cirdan fancies Silari, and if her expression is anything to go by then the feelings are reciprocated!" crowed the other twin. Both Silari and Cirdan became even more interested in their dessert.

"Is that true, you two?" asked Elrond. Too embarrassed for words, the pair nodded. Someone snorted, clearly trying to hold off laughter and the very embarrassed pair looked at each other before dropping their spoons and exiting as fast as they could.

Inside the dining room, both Twins burst out laughing, while Glorfindel, Erestor and Elrond merely chuckled slightly. Arwen just wore a mysterious grin, having noticed something happening between the pair before. Eventually the group recovered their composure.

"Silari and Cirdan, who would have thought it?" chuckled Glorfindel. Like the rest of the group he seemed to find it immensely funny.

No prizes for guessing the topic of conversation for the rest of the meal.

XXX

The next morning Silari woke early, determined to get her food and get away before the Twins saw her as she just knew that teasing was coming. When she got out into her sitting room, she found a couple of parcels on the table. With them was a letter. After a second's thought, she opened the letter first.

_Dearest Silari,_

_Please wear these gifts at the feast tonight for me._

_C._

She grinned delightedly, she had never thought romance could be such fun and she was actually beginning to look forward to this feast. She looked at the two parcels before choosing to open the smaller of the parcels.

Inside was a silver circlet that was ornate and totally stunning. She was not sure how, but it seemed to have a sea theme. There was nothing particularly sea-like about it, no shells or waves, but somehow the swirls and whorls seemed indicative of the sea. She gently placed the box down without closing it and opened the second package. And let out a little squeal as the soft silk tumbled out of the paper.

Inside was a deep burgundy gown. Eyes wide, she held the gown to her body and went to the mirror. She smiled, seeing that it would look absolutely beautiful on her. She then gently placed the gown on the bed, hugged herself and twirled around her room in joy.

She was late for breakfast and she did get teased.

XXX

That night she dressed in the low-cut gown and Arwen braided the circlet into her hair. The two were getting ready together, enjoying the time alone.

"Did Cirdan give you this circlet?" Silari nodded shyly, her face going pink again. "You do know that the circlet is as close to marking you as his own as he can get without actually doing anything?" Silari spun round and looked at Arwen with a raised eyebrow. "That circlet is as close to the one his wife would wear without actually being the one his wife would wear that he could have had made."

"What is different?" Silari asked, dead curious to know.

"A few jewels, the odd whorl, not much and definitely not enough to prevent mistakes being made." Silari tried to resist grinning as a warm fuzzy feeling filled her that someone would actually want to claim her.

Shortly after, there was a knock on the door and Silari went to open it. When she saw it was Cirdan, she forgot that Arwen was there and flung her arms round his neck, kissing him soundly. When he pulled back from her he stroked her cheek and kissed her again, this time more gently.

"You are beautiful, my Silari." She grinned; she was definitely liking this whole romance thing. As she was staring into his eyes, wearing a gooey expression on her face, she felt something cold round her neck. She looked down to see him fastening the ends of a necklace. She touched it with her hand and then pulled away to go look in a mirror.

The necklace was made of pink river pearls and rubies and draped gently over her chest filling up the copious amounts of bare skin before the neckline arrived. She couldn't help it; she flung her arms round Cirdan's neck again and kissed him. Their passionate moment was ended abruptly by a significant cough behind them. Since Elves didn't cough, it was pretty clear Arwen was not clearing her throat.

"If you two love-birds don't stop, then you will be late for the feast and, since I am on chaperoning duty, so will I." Silari raised an eyebrow.

"Chaperoning duty?" Arwen just looked innocent and shooed them out of the room.

XXX

The feast wasn't so bad as Silari had expected, Elrond having arranged for her to be beside Cirdan who was very solicitous to her throughout. The major downside was that the Twins particularly seemed to find it a great opportunity for teasing.

Galadriel and Celeborn seemed to find the new relationship rather interesting as well and seemed to be holding back on the teasing with great effort. Everyone else in the hall seemed totally shocked that Cirdan of all people had claimed their Lady Silari.

There was dancing in the Hall of Fire after the meal, though Silari had a rather limited pool of partners owing to the circlet she wore and the possessive hold Cirdan kept round her waist. Actually, she could almost count the people who would dance with her on her fingers: the Twins, Elrond, Erestor, Glorfindel, Celeborn, and a few of the braver (and safely married) Elves of Rivendell.

It didn't matter though because she spent most of her time dancing with Cirdan anyway. After a few hours, the two went outside where many couples were and then to a more secluded part of Rivendell to enjoy each other's company in private.

Silari went to bed that night on a cloud and failed to notice that she had been shadowed from the moment she had left the Hall of Fire.


	12. Chapter 12

Etyanárë Chapter 12

The next day the two wizards arrived and Silari disappeared to the other side of Rivendell. At lunch, Elrond noticed her absence.

"Cirdan, do you have any idea where Silari is? She is gone again." Cirdan decided against trying for an innocent look, it would be too obvious.

"To where ever she goes when she doesn't want to meet your guests I would imagine." Elrond looked at him suspiciously, sure the ancient knew exactly where Silari was. Saruman, however looked curious.

"Who is this Silari and, out of curiousity, why would she want to hide from Gandalf and me? Unless there are other guests she would want to hide from." Cirdan answered before Elrond could, remembering her wariness of the wizard in question.

"She does not trust easily Saruman, and I suspect it is all the guests here that she does not want to meet. I have noticed she is very cautious of all strangers."

"But you are in a relationship with her, are you not? Maybe you could convince her to come out so we could at least speak to her." Cirdan shook his head.

"She does not have a high opinion of the Valar and has expressed her distrust of their servants. I doubt, even if I can find her, that she would come out of hiding simply to talk to you. I think it is best to leave her be and let her hide and come out in her own time, Saruman." The wizard nodded, clearly disappointed.

XXX

As Silari got comfortable in the hide she had semi constructed in a smallish cave she had found in the woods at the far end of Rivendell, she noticed a little package. On the front was drawn a heart shape and the character for C. She grinned, knowing who was responsible for it, and then carefully opened it up. Inside was a carving of a doe. She had to laugh, Cirdan had mentioned that she reminded him of a deer sometimes, the way her first instinct was to run. The gift was obviously his idea of a little joke.

She spent the day exploring the woods further, that being a place few people went as it was very secluded and difficult to get to. She did enjoy her little trips into seclusion, she had been on her own so long that it was hard to be around and with so many people all the time and so she greatly enjoyed being able to get away.

Very late that night she was curled up a tree when she heard rustling bellow her, she looked down and saw a silver mane of hair and smiled. She knew exactly who that was. With an athletic jump she dropped out of the tree and onto his back, arm holding to his chest round his neck and knees gripping either side of his waist. She kissed just bellow his ear, holding on tight.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" She whispered into his ear. He laughed softly and turned, forgetting that, since she was on his back, she would go round with him. As he turned she giggle at the sensation and so he carried on turning, faster and faster until she had to let go. As she fell he caught her against him and kissed her properly.

"I do love you Silari, I really do." She smiled at Cirdan and curled into his chest. "Did you get my gift?"

"Yes, it was lovely, did you carve it?" He nodded at her then seemed to go very shy. "Why the shyness Órenya?" {Q: my heart}

"I made that deer a very long time ago while I was thinking just how much you remind me of the deer." Silari pulled back to look at his face.

"You thought of me before you came here recently?" She looked at him, wide eyed. He smiled at her, still embarrassed.

"You fascinated me from the moment I saw you Silari. I spent your entire visit trying to find out more about the beautiful mystery that was a guest in my home and then when you went away you left me more questions than I had answered and I spend much of the intervening time before coming here trying to find out more about you, which was rather futile. You are very good at not leaving a trail for the curious to follow." She grinned at him again, looking at him curiously.

"When did this fascination or curiosity or whatever it was turn into something deeper?" Cirdan held her close, not looking into her face.

"I am not sure, though when I realised it was probably when I found out who your father was and saw how terrified of me you were. I was very surprised to find your terror so painful. It actually hurt me that you were so scared of me and I had to stop myself from pulling you into my arms and kissing you senseless to make you realise that I would never, _could_ never, hurt you. I don't think I have found very many things quite as painful as that look of sheer paralytic fear that you wore then." As a subconscious enhancement of his point, he buried his head in her shoulder, kissing it gently. Silari tightened her hold on him, slightly amazed that he felt so strongly about her.

XXX

And so it went on, each of the pair spending the day apart, Silari running round the woods and Cirdan in council with the Elf-lords, and then them being together during the night. The secret meetings had one perk, no chaperone. The chaperoning had been subtle but when everyone was in bed then they could get away without being watched. It suited the pair fine.

On one of their evening walks there was a particularly interesting conversation.

"I am beginning to see what you mean about Saruman. I hadn't noticed it before you mentioned that he might be anything other than trustworthy, but there is something wrong. He is closed and jumpy and I don't quite believe him when he says something. It is almost like he is spreading misinformation to gain knowledge while lessen ours. It is strange, I never distrusted him before." He looked down at Silari, who was a bit shorter than him, a frown in place.

"I am not sure why I distrust him but I do. I have not come across him but in my travels I have heard about him. Though no singular thing about him is ever anything other than it is supposed to be, some extra sense or something tells me that there is something wrong. It is strange, Mithrandir is the one which awakes dislike from the humans and keeps earning himself less than fantastic reputations but I always get this sense it is more because he tells people what they do not want to hear rather than because he is less great." Cirdan nodded.

"I sensed when Mithrandir first arrived that he was greater than any other of the five, and nobler than the rest. He has a great part to play and needs all the help he can get in winning. I fear we will need his skills long before the end. Saruman on the other hand he is… I don't know how to put it…" Silari smiled.

"I think some of the southern humans would describe him as a snake oil seller. He toadies up and makes people like him. I always sense that there is something greasy about him. I really have no desire to meet him, now or later." Cirdan smiled and laughed.

"He tried to convince me to get him a meeting with you when he first arrived. I guessed you would not want to meet him so I lied about knowing where you were." She grinned and pulled him down for another kiss.

"I really do love you Cirdan." He smiled and kissed her back.

XXX

As Elrond expected, Cirdan stayed slightly long than all the other notables, who all went soon after the council ended. Once all the other notables had left, Silari returned to Rivendell proper.

There was a certain amount of surprise at the fact that they didn't seem to be behaving like they had just spent a couple of weeks apart. In fact, they were behaving like they had seen each other only the other night.

This, understandably, raised suspicions with Elrond and his family.

"Why does it appear that, after all this time Silari has be out of out of communication with the rest of the world, you two have just been carrying on a romance despite the fact no one knew where Silari was?" They both pulled off identical, clearly fake, innocent looks.

"We have absolutely no idea Elrond, really." He rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Children!" They looked at him and both burst out laughing.

XXX

A few days later though, Cirdan could no longer put off leaving.

"Silari, are you sure you won't come with me? Please, I love you!" On a younger person, that might have sounded like a whine. She wrapped her arms round his neck and kissed him soundly.

"I love you too, and I will come and visit you soon, but no, not yet Órenya." Cirdan smiled whistfully, she was probably the only person (other than Glorfindel) who would use a Quenya affectionate. He was tempted to lift her onto his horse and carry her away home with him, but that was not the way to get her to marry him. With one final kiss on her lips, he mounted his grey and left the beautiful haven, turning back to wave at his beloved.

If only she knew just how much he loved her.


	13. Chapter 13

Etyanárë Chapter 13

Several years after the visit of Cirdan to Rivendell found Silari, still travelling to Mithlond frequently to visit Cirdan. Every time she left the city to go to Rivendell or whatever she did on her own hurt Cirdan more than he would ever admit, especially to Silari. Every time he sensed it was not the time to ask her to marry him, maybe next time.

His friends, including a former apprentice of his named Galdor noticed his melancholy at her separations from him.

"Lord Cirdan, may I speak with you?" A wry smile spread across Cirdan's face. That Elf could never get over formality even though he had been told many times that it was no longer necessary.

"Yes, Galdor, what is it?"

"Well, we have all noticed your melancholy every time the Lady Silari leaves here again. If it pains you so much to see her leave, why do you not simply ask her to marry you?" Cirdan stared at the young Elf. He had always been quite direct but...

"She is not ready yet, Galdor, I sense she will always have trouble settling down, she was nomadic for too long. I cannot force her to stay still for fear of ruining our relationship should she say no when she would be unhappy in staying in one place for very long. She needs more time before I ask her." He sighed, it always hurt him to know that just now, she would not be happy settled down and married to him. He could never do anything to make her unhappy.

"She always reminds me of the traditional features of the line of Feanor, with that bright red hair flowing across her back." It was a throwaway comment, but it made Cirdan stare at the younger Elf for a second before collecting himself.

"But no records show a female descendant of Feanor, it is interesting to see those features on a lady. They suit her very well." The two sat back, both staring into the fire.

"I heard that the last night of her first stay was not such a loving one, my friend." It was easy to spot the fishing for information. He would one day have to teach the Elf how to do it subtly.

"I was probing for information that is very private to her, I was unaware at the time how sensitive the point was and got a shock when she made it abjectly clear that I should keep to myself to myself on the subject." That raised an eyebrow.

"Do you know whatever it was you were asking for now?" Definitely fishing.

"Yes. I found out before our relationship started." With that Cirdan dismissed the subject, not wanting to talk about his beloved with a subject to close to ones he knew she wanted kept secret.

XXX

Silari was visiting Arwen who was once again in Lorien. She was immensely amused when Aragorn turned up shortly after her and neither was able to keep their eyes off each other. Not too surprisingly Aragorn took the opportunity of time alone, with Elrond a long way away, to propose.

To the shock of many Elves, she agreed. Silari was one of the few to congratulate them immediately. She saw no point in arguing the toss. Shortly after that she escorted that pair to Rivendell so they could tell Elrond.

Elrond however, was not amused or even happy for that matter. Actually, that is an understatement. Barely suppressed rage and better hidden grief, would be closer. After careful consideration and a few moments to compose himself, he declared that they would not be given permission to marry until Aragorn had attained the throne of Gondor and Arnor. Only then would he have attained a status suitable to marry such an illustrious princess.

Silari wasn't sure whether that ultimatum was because Elrond was using the opportunity to goad the human into working to earn the throne he had shown no desire to get or to prevent the two getting married. Whatever his reasoning, it put the kibosh on their plans for a fair while.

XXX

To escape the tenseness round the Last Homely House, Silari decided to take a trip to Rohan and possibly get something as a gift for Cirdan then go visit him in Mithlond. She smiled into her thoughts, she missed her beau when she was away, but it was hard to settle down and she never felt secure there, well not entirely. She knew Cirdan would protect her, but old insecurities die hard.

Rohan was as wonderful as she remembered: the people free and easy and not bothered by any long gone history. Everyone there was welcoming, though they were in mourning over the recent death of Thengel.

The new King was a young man named Théoden. He was a decisive and effective king, slightly too proud but most men, well males in general, were too proud. Silari didn't see too many problems in his reign if he kept up to form. He most likely would be able to deal with the war that anyone would be able see coming. If nothing changed, that is.

While in Edoras, she looked around to find something for Cirdan.

Eventually she found a little metalwork shop. The blacksmith spent most of his time making weapons and practical things like that, but occasionally made metal figurines. He was delighted to actually receive a commission for what was a hobby.

He made her a horse galloping out of the waves. The eyes of the statue were made of sapphires and glittered beautifully. The horse had been made of copper and the waves of steel. It was not the most precious combination of metals, but the artwork of the statuette was beautiful.

She carefully kept the figurine safe as she galloped North and across the mountains, stopping only briefly at Rivendell along her way where there was still high tension, though lessened by the fact Aragorn had gone off to join the Dunedain again. All the same, Silari left Rivendell fairly quickly.

It took her a little while reach the port city and she was allowed entry through the large gates that protect the city immediately. Everyone in the city knew of the relationship between their Lord and the red haired elleth that visited often. She even got an offer of an escort to the palace from the guards.

Before she got to the palace, she stopped at a market to get some nice cloth to wrap her gift in. She easily found some beautiful blue satin that was perfect she thought. It was not hard to wrap the statuette up nicely with some ribbon she had bought.

When she got to the palace, Cirdan was waiting for her on the steps eagerly. Despite propriety, she kissed him, flinging her arms round his neck and holding him close. He seemed rather pleased at the greeting.

She was then escorted to the baths for a wash, having spent a long time on the road and so was not the most savoury smelling person in the palace. She took the opportunity to make herself look better and to don a beautiful green gown she had recently had made and collected on her way to Mithlond.

It was forest-green taffeta with a low-cut, off-the-shoulder neckline and a tailored body that gave out to a flowing skirt. The embroidery was silver to match the silver circlet that Cirdan had given her and there were diamonds embedded in the embroidery in swirls and whorls similar to those on the circlet. She had it made purely for the purpose of this meeting. She hoped he appreciated the effort.

The maid was more than happy to help her get ready for her Lord. When she braided the circlet into her hair, she added beads and green ribbons. She also draped a silver and emerald necklace that Cirdan had also given her round her neck. When she looked in the mirror, Silari was amazed by how good she looked, she looked like one of the ladies of old she had seen as a small child before she had left to wander. She was beginning to think she would enjoy settling down with the ancient Elf-lord.

Quietly she entered Cirdan's sitting room and waited for him to turn round. He was leaning over the window, looking out to sea. When he sensed her there he turned round, stopped and gasped. He stood there staring at, mouth slightly agape, for quite a while before he recovered.

"Silari, you look amazing!" He got out before moving over to kiss her. When he pulled back he held her at arm's length to examine the look more closely. "Was all this specially for me?" She nodded.

"I have something for you that I got in Rohan as well." He looked at her with a slight grin.

"And your presence here was not enough?" She laughed and kissed him before handing him the satin wrapped figurine. He unwrapped it curiously and his eyes widened as he saw what it was. "This is beautiful, how on Arda did you get it? I did not know metal statue making was a rohirric art."

"It's not, you have no idea how long it took to find the blacksmith who made this for me. It took me a while to find anything I wanted to give you. I found this man who makes these for a hobby; he was delighted to make one for a commission." They spent a few seconds kissing each other again before pulling back and restarting the conversation.

"You didn't have to buy me a present," Cirdan stated mildly.

"I wanted to get you something; you always get me lovely things so I thought it would be nice to get you something as well for once. That seemed eminently appropriate considering where it came from and who it's for." He smiled and kissed her gently.

"The gift is well received, meleth nin." She smiled and curled into his chest and they sat down on one of the sofas for a tight hug which reminded Silari of how much she missed him. She sighed softly. "Why the sigh, meleth nin? Does something disturb your peace?" She shook her head against his chest.

"No, I was just realising how much I missed your presence this time I have been away from you. Travelling is losing its joy when the alternative is a love greater than I ever expected to be blessed with. I would much prefer to take you with me and we discover all these places together, but you cannot leave here often. I find I would much rather be round you than out there travelling. You are much better company than my horse, Órenya." Cirdan smiled, trying not to show how much that statement warmed his heart.

"I should hope so; I would not make good company if a horse could out do me."

They talked late into the night, revelling in each other's company and at least half the conversation not spoken but felt. Cirdan almost wished he had the ring he had made 28 years ago when he returned from Rivendell around. It seemed the perfect time to show it to Silari.


	14. Chapter 14

Etyanárë chapter 14

The next day saw Silari leaning over a balcony in the palace to watch the sea. She turned slightly when she felt another presence beside her. Next to her on the balcony was Galdor, an ellon she knew Cirdan had trained and was fond of.

"Galdor, what can I do for you?" She didn't know him well and he made her nervous, but she would not show it.

"I just wished to talk about my Lord Cirdan, Lady Silari." Her head shot round to look at the silver haired Teleri *beside her.

"What about him, is there something wrong I should know about?"

"No exactly wrong, and I would prefer it if he didn't find out I was the one to tell you about this. He thinks to keep it from you to stop you from feeling bad or something." She frowned at him. The Elf leaned across the bars of the railings and regarded the sea for a long moment before answering.

"He would never tell you, but every time you leave it pains him terribly. He loves you greatly and wants nothing more than for you to settle down here with him as his wife. He adores you, Lady, and it pains us to see him grieve your absence nearly as much as it pains him to see you go. I believe that he does not tell you about it because he believes that you will stay her simply to stop him grieving your absence and you will resent the curtailed movement or, worse, break off you relationship to keep travelling." Silari gasped and turned to leave when she felt the other Elf holding her arm.

"Do not go to him and ask him about this, Lady, just consider it and maybe not go travelling so often. I told you because I believe you should know, not to fulfil my Lord's fears." Galdor looked panicked at the thought that she might tell Cirdan about the break of confidence, even if it was made for his good.

"Have no fear, Galdor, I have already felt a drain on my wanderlust for it is not enjoyable without the one you love and I find myself wishing to stay here with him rather than travelling. I have seen more of the world than any other Elf practically." She smiled at the ellon who smiled back.

"I think Maglor probably saw more of Arda than any other Elf, wandering as much as he did." Her smile lessened as she remembered her father.

"I think not, for he died before he had the opportunity to see Rohan in full bloom and wonders like that, yet I started my wondering at a similar time to him. A few years before, actually, I was 57 when they stole the Silmarils and then promptly lost them again; I had left to wonder shortly after my majority; Elrond and Elros left shortly after that to go join Gil-galad." Galdor looked at her in surprise.

"You are two years older than Lord Elrond?" Silari smiled sardonically and nodded. "You speak like you knew them almost, like you were there. Hang on, do you know when Maglor died, this one of the great unknowns, for all I know he could still be wandering around out there somewhere, singing his songs of lament." Silari shook her head gently.

"I grew up with the twins, Elrond and Elros. Maglor found me with my dying mother, she was human and had caught one of their pestilences, and took me back to Hithlum with him as I was half elven kind. I don't think I was every truly welcome there, they were not fond of Peredhil and it was only the august lineage of the Twins that stopped them suffering more. As for knowing that Maglor is dead, I found his body and buried it not too long after my first visit here. I am probably the only person who could still show you the exact position of his body." Galdor was watching her with wide eyes. It was quite a revelation.

"I guess your astounding hair colour comes from your mother's side, then, for the only way you could have got that hair colour otherwise was to be born of one of the sons of Feanor, there are no other Elves I have ever seen with such a hair colour." Silari had returned to watching the waves and a sardonic pull to her lips was her only response. "You know, even if you were a descendant of Feanor, that we would welcome you simply for the happiness you bring our Lord. The Kinslayings are long gone." Silari nodded again, and this time her smile was genuine.

"Do you really mean that?" Galdor nodded, smiling also.

"Little short of being a servant of the enemy would make us dislike you as long as you treated our Lord right and made him happy, he is long overdue a love." Silari grinned at him and excused herself. Somehow, Mithlond seemed a lot less scary now.

XXX

That evening, Silari and Cirdan were once again curled up together on the sofa by the fire.

"Cirdan, what would you say if I said I was thinking of settling down here?" The brightness of his smile was nearly blinding. She needed no more answer than that. "I should like to live here, though I would have to go to Rivendell and possibly Lorien to visit, the Lords and Ladies there have done so much for me that I could not think of completely abandoning them." She was watching and she saw the slight flicker of expression when she mentioned going away.

"No, you cannot abandon them, I am sure that I would get lectured on keeping you here in those missives I often receive if you did not visit." He tried to make it sound like he had nothing against such trips.

"Of course, I couldn't travel too often with the increasing danger of the world out there, but I should like to go with you if possible. I love you too dearly to leave you unless I have to." You could see the Elf-lord brighten up at the prospect.

"As to your earlier question, I would insist on you staying in the palace, you already have a permanent room here. " He looked at her sideways, like there was something he wanted to say and dare not say it. No matter how hard Silari coaxed, he would not tell, getting down right mysterious by the time she retired.

XXX

"Lady Silari! Lord Cirdan requests your presence on his ship." Silari knew that Cirdan kept a boat, sorry ship (she had made that mistake to correction every time, all the mariners passed it off as 'land dweller'), to go sailing round in, but it occurred to her that she had never been on the thing before, despite many visits to the Havens.

The ship was large, beautifully crafted and white. Leaning across the aft railing was Cirdan, unusually dressed in leggings and tunic rather than robes. It made him seem much younger and brought out a whole new level of handsomeness.

When she got up to the deck, she was immediately pulled into his arms and led to the tiller where she watched as Cirdan expertly guided the boat out of the harbour into the blue sea outside the Havens. Silari had never been to sea before and was amazed at the expanse of blue-green water that surrounded her. If Cirdan was trying to impress her, he was going about it the right way.

The Gulf of Lune was a sheltered place and as the sun was setting, they moored the boat a little out from the headland and Silari was led to the bow of the ship where Cirdan spent some time pointing out sights to her between romantic moments. When they turned round again, Silari saw that the other sailors had set out a table and multiple lights with some food and then left the deck empty. Silari recognised a deliberate set up when she saw it and looked at Cirdan with a raised eyebrow. He just grinned boyishly back at her and led her to the table.

Silari had been growing used to the fishy diet eaten in Mithlond, but the animal served up was one she knew was an expensive delicacy. Cidan had it served for her once before and found she was more than fond of the flavour. It was a large shell fish that was apparently named 'Lobster'. Silari wasn't too bothered about the name, she just liked eating it.

Throughout the meal, Cirdan seemed nervous though and his nerves just increase right through the meal. Eventually it was so obvious Silari actually asked him about it he looked at her hesitantly before taking her hands and holding them in his and looking at her somewhat uncertainly.

"Silari, you must have guessed that there is a special reason for me doing all this for you?" She nodded, not going to stop him when he was apparently working up the nerve to say something. "And you know you said that you would like to settle in Mithlond and I love you very much..." Silari nodded again, noticing that he was both beginning to babble and losing his grip on grammar as he got more nervous.

"Cirdan, I love you very much, there is no need to be nervous of me." She was confused. What could possibly make a 10,000+ year old Elf so very nervous?

"Silari, what I am trying to ask is..." He took a deep breath, "is will you marry me?" He said the last part so fast that it took her a second or two to process the words. Then she stared him in pure undiluted shock for a moment.

"If it weren't for this table between us then you would be getting your answer in a much more physical form than a simple 'yes'." Now she was to one babbling, then again it was not like she got proposed to every day.

It was Cirdan who was now processing what she said and you could tell when he had for he moved round the table and pulled her into his arms and kissed Silari with a passion she had never felt before. They went on like that for quite a while before Cirdan regretfully called the sailors up to help get the ship back to Mithlond.

Throughout the trip home, the happy couple stood at the bow; arm in arm and on the receiving end of many amused glances from the sailors. They were all happy for their Lord, but he was behaving like a turtle dove and it was funny. All the same, the amusement was affectionate. Cirdan had finally found a bride.

Took him long enough.

* Teleri are the last of the three groups of elves to go to Valinor, not all making it there. Most of them went off with Thingol of Doriath, originally known as Elwë. Some that remained in middle earth stayed with Cirdan who also never made it. The ones that remained with Cirdan are still called Teleri and retain their own customs etc, the ones who went with Thingol became the Sindars.


	15. Chapter 15

Etyanárë chapter 15

Shortly after the engagement, both Cirdan and Silari travelled to Rivendell to tell Elrond of their betrothal. Silari wanted to tell him in person and neither was inclined to be separated from the other's company. Galdor also escorted them in the self-chosen role of chaperone, making sure they never got past the kissing/hugging stage. He was not the only one being deliberately annoying in preventing the two from being too close and alone. Every guard in the party seemed to take great joy in the job. Silari was frequently tempted to commit Kinslaying.

When they finally arrived though, Elrond was over the moon at the engagement and threw a huge feast to celebrate it. The only problem was that every Elf in Rivendell also felt the pair needed chaperones and it was very hard to get private time.

In one of the few bits of private time the pair got though, they agreed on something. They would not marry until the war was over. Anyone could see what was happening now and they wished to save that until later when peace reigned again.

XXX

Silari spent most of the following years living in Lindon and spending time with Cirdan with the occasional trips to Rivendell and even rarer trips to Lorien. She did not like to leave Cirdan, knowing how much it hurt him when she was gone, though now she wore his ring on her finger, it seemed to hurt less, and the increased Orc activity made it dangerous to travel so she stayed at home more.

It was spring in the year 3018 when Silari took one of her visits to Rivendell, and found herself dodging any number of Orc patrols to get there. If anyone was in any doubt about war being upon them then they only had to go a day or two out of any major settlement to find it out. The little rats of Morgoth were everywhere.

Amazingly enough, she made it to the Last Homely House unscathed and was greeted enthusiastically by Elrond. As she looked at the Elf-lord, she noticed the lines that spread across his brow, lines of worry about what was going on. She had noticed them form of Cirdan's forehead as well, but she had been able to sooth most of those away. Elrond no longer had a wife to do that for him and it showed.

Much to Silari's pleasure, Arwen was back in Rivendell. Arwen seemed equally pleased to see Silari there and drafted her in to help relax Elrond a bit.

Silari had planned to ride back to Cirdan by midsummer but the roads were so treacherous that she had to send her apologies in with the missives that Elrond was sending with guards. By September she was getting antsy with her separation from Cirdan and was determined to get back to Cirdan any way possible. She nearly jumped for joy when she found out that Elrond wanted a special envoy to send to the elven realms as he was calling some sort of council.

It took a lot of convincing to get him to agree to let her go, but when she agreed to take guards, he finally let her. Even in the dark times that were around them, everyone found time to tease her about her eagerness to get back to Cirdan.

What Silari found funny as she rode was that she clearly knew Eriador better than her guards and frequently got them out of sticky situations by finding good hiding places for them when they were too near Orc patrols and such like.

They took the opportunity to go into any human town they came across while in Eriador, both for the news and the comfort and protection a town provided them. Human towns had nothing on an elven dwelling, but they were still better than sleeping on hard ground.

It was late September when they came to a town called Bree and stopped for the night. As was their custom, all three Elves kept their hoods up, concealing their race. As they were settling down with their drinks and drying off from the pouring rain outside the first surprise of the evening happened.

Also dripping wet, was Aragorn who simply walked in and asked for a beer. Amusingly enough, he failed to notice three Elves in the corner and went and found his own dark corner to sit in. Silari debated going and talking to him for about ten minutes before getting up and sitting by him. She could see him getting ready to shoo her away when she talked to him.

"My my, Estel, you are terribly inobservant. It could be a descendant of Feanor next to you and you wouldn't notice." Of course, only she knew what was funny about that statement but whatever, it had the desired effect. Aragorn jumped and turned to her before pulling her into a tight hug.

"Silari, What are you doing here?" He asked her in a stunned whisper.

"Going to Mithlond, where else? You know as well as anyone else that when I am travelling east then there is only one destination in my mind." Aragorn laughed – the relationship between her and Cirdan was no secret.

They talked for a little while before Silari went back to her guards. Not a moment too soon for three Pereniath entered the pub very soon after she had settled down in her chair again. Not too long after, she retired upstairs to her room. While she sat reading a book some time later, both her guards came up to her, clearly exited about something.

"Lady Silari! The most amazing thing just happened in the common room." She looked at the guard, face questioning. "One of the Pereniath started dancing and then he fell over and suddenly he just disappeared. He didn't move quickly into a crowd or anything, he just disappeared from sight. It is the strangest thing I have ever seen, My Lady."

"Did you see anything else, some light or other, possibly?" she asked; she had a sinking feeling that she knew what was going on.

"Well maybe, I think I saw a flash of light like it was off-gold, but that could have been off something on one of the men's clothing, they were crowded fairly close round the Pereniath." She looked at him and nodded.

Soon both guards went off to their own rooms for rest and Silari was about to retire when there was a soft knocking on her door. Bidding them enter, she was surprised to see Aragorn standing there with an unhappy Butterbur at his shoulder.

"Estel, what are you doing here?" Butterbur seemed relieved that she seemed to know the Ranger and stopped quivering a bit.

"I thought you might want some warning, there are likely to be Nazgul or some other mischief going on here tonight." She nodded and pulled him over to a corner for some private conversation.

"One of those Pereniath has the One Ring, doesn't he?" Aragorn seemed very surprised that she could guess that. "He disappeared into thin air earlier and, surprisingly for an Elf born in the first age, I am actually familiar with the rings of Sauron, especially since the three rings were made by my long deceased cousin." Aragorn's eyes widened. She forgot he didn't know her genealogy. "Oh for Eru's sake, I am the daughter of Maglor, since you didn't know. Don't tell anyone though; I prefer to keep that quiet."

"Alright, yes it is the One Ring and it's why servants of the Dark are trying to get him. He is Bilbo's nephew and that old Pereniath was the one who found it first then passed it on to Frodo. Right now we are trying to get him to Rivendell as fast as possible." Silari nodded at him.

"Alright, I will watch out for the spawn of Morgoth and Sauron running round but thankfully, I am going the other way. I don't envy anyone going from Lindon to Rivendell though." Aragorn laughed gently before hugging her and leaving.

XXX

It was only a couple of days later that they reached Mithlond and were met at the palace by a slightly pale and very careworn Cirdan. He was obviously as run off his feet as Elrond was with this war. When she dismounted the horse she was immediately pulled into a tight hug and kissed senseless.

"Silari, what on earth are you doing here? It is far too dangerous to travel!" He kissed her again.

"I bugged Elrond until he let me carry the latest missives to you, though he would only allow it if I took some guards. Not that I object, just now I think I prefer to have extra help with the danger value at the moment." Cirdan gave out a relieved sigh and pulled her in for another kiss.

"I am not going to let you go until this war is over, you out there in danger is going to make me the first Elf in history to have a 'heart attack', you know." She laughed.

"You are old enough; I have noticed those things happen more in older people than young." That comment got her a playful glare. Age jokes not always appreciated round the oldest creature in Middle Earth.

Just before going to bathe, Silari handed Cirdan the messages.

"I am sorry to add to your burden, you need quite the opposite, but these are important. Maybe you can read them while I wash then I can make you relax later. I am sure I could find a way to cheer you up from whatever depressing things Elrond has sent you this time." Cirdan laughed at her and shooed her off to her bath.

XXX

After dinner, she curled up with Cirdan in their sitting room.

"I hate to have to talk business with you on your first night back, but those missives contained some very disturbing material and I was wondering if you could elaborate." Silari looked enquiringly at him. "Elrond suspects that the One Ring has been found and Mithrandir has not been seen in a while, it is like he has disappeared, though that is not so unusual..." He petered off, staring into the fire with a troubled look in his eyes.

"I am afraid it is no suspicion about the One Ring. The Pereniath who carries it gave a bit of a display in this inn we were staying in along the way. The Pereniath had come to the inn looking for Mithrandir who was supposed to meet them there, but he wasn't there and had instead sent Estel in his place. Nazgul came looking for him in the night and they lost their horses. Last I know, they were travelling to Rivendell by foot, being pursued by the Nine."" Cirdan was watching her, wide-eyed.

"Well, that is going to make Elrond's council interesting. If the Pereniath gets there alive then he is rather going to steal the show. It is a pity that we can't go and watch. I have an invite, but I cannot leave and I am most definitely not going to let you travel there right now. I wander who I shall send as a representative though?" No matter how gruesome the news, neither could be too serious round the other.

"Send Galdor possibly, I have noticed that he is very perceptive and he is exceptionally loyal to you. He would do the best for you even if it were not the best for him, I think, and though he sometimes lacks diplomacy, I think he would make a good ambassador." Cirdan held her and kissed her neck a few times before answering.

"You get on well with him, then? What is this incident that makes you feel that he would do the best for me over the best for him? I sense a story here." Silari smiled and kissed his nose playfully.

"I cannot tell you that, Órenya, for I promised him silence on the subject matter, probably because you would hang him by his hair if you found out." Cirdan would not give up that easily however, after much bugging she gave in a little. "He told me something you were trying to hide from me because you thought it would hurt me. He felt you we hurting yourself unnecessarily and so told me. In the end it didn't matter as I was planning on doing what he wanted anyway. He did make an amusing comment though..."

"Oh?"

"Yes, he said he would welcome me even if I was a descendant of Feanor for the happiness I bring you" They both looked at each other and burst out laughing.

What people say in ignorance can be so funny sometimes.


	16. Chapter 16

Etyanárë Chapter 16

Galdor left for Rivendell around noon the next day after some whirlwind packing. Even with a horse, it would be close getting there on time. With him though, Silari sent a note explaining to Elrond that she would wait out the war in Lindon as she didn't want to travel during it. They had enough to worry about without her running around being suicidal. She was pretty sure Elrond would be as relieved as Cirdan was at that decision.

Soon though, Silari discovered another advantage of being about as far from Mordor as possible was that there was relatively little in the way of attacks. The enemy forces were focused on their much closer neighbours of Rohan and Gondor amongst the Men and the two woodland realms amongst the Elves. The realms across the Misty Mountains were much better off and Lindon, with the blue mountains in the way as well was probably the most unscathed. It was good because that realm was one of the most unpopulated of the elven realms, as well as the least prepared having always been sheltered.

Whenever Elrond sent a missive, usually with a letter to her as well, she and Cirdan would spend the evening discussing it. She had found that being able to talk all the problems of the world at large with her helped Cirdan greatly. The human phrase 'a problem shared is a problem halved' came into its own at that time.

One of the weirdest moments was receiving the message that told them that Mithrandir had fallen in Moria. Silari had never been close to the wizard, quite the opposite actually, but she did feel a sinking in her chest. It was hard to believe that such a staple in the fight against Sauron was gone. That had not been a night of laughter, though they raised a toast to the meddling old Istar and grieved him privately.

Even more shocking was the next missive which arrived at the beginning of March and stated that Mithrandir had returned as Gandalf the White! If it had been a shock that he was dead, then it was more of a shock that he was returned _from_ the dead.

That was the good news. The bad was that the Fellowship had broken up and that two Pereniath were in the hands of the enemy while the other two were travelling towards Mordor. The second pair were the ones with the Ring thankfully. Unfortunately, Boromir had fallen and the last three members of the Fellowship were chasing the captured Pereniath, though with not a particularly high chance of catching up. It was a long distance to run against the Orcs.

The next message took a while longer than usual to arrive. The news was mixed again. Lorien, Mirkwood and Helms Deep, the stronghold of the Rohirrhim, and later on Minas Tirith, had all been attacked. Lorien had been assailed from Dol Guldur three times, Dol Guldur had also attacked Mirkwood and had reached the cave fortress that served as the palace before they had been turned back and destroyed. Many of the trees of the forest had been burnt and it would take much healing before the wood was whole again.

Rohan had probably been worst hit, though. Much of the land had been burnt before the main attack and huge amounts of the population had either fled to Helms Deep or Edoras or been killed, and then the entirety of Edoras had to empty out and go to Helms Deep and hide in the caves. When the siege had finally commenced, the Rohirrim had been pushed back to the keep after the Deeping Wall had fallen and it was only the timely arrival of Mithrandir and reinforcements that consisted of Erkenbrand, a marshal of the Mark, 1000 men and the Huorns, some malignant type of tree controlled by Treebeard the Ent.

Neither Silari nor Cirdan knew much about the Huorns, but from the description they seemed to be something like a cross between Ents and trees that could walk, talk and kill. Kill 10,000 odd Orcs or Uruk-hai in this case. Silari could not help finding it a bit funny that most of Saruman's army had been killed by trees with attitude. Considering what the monsters did to nature though, it seemed eminently appropriate.

Silari took the opportunity of this most obvious treachery of Saruman's to gloat a little bit about how she had been the first to notice that the Istar was not trustworthy. Cirdan graciously allowed her her fair share of 'I told you sos'. He seemed to find her amusing.

The missive after that had both of them dancing for joy and the entire city partied. It had actually got there earlier than the messages normally did, but the messenger suddenly had a lack of things blocking his path North and had ridden like the blazes to spread the news.

The war was won and Sauron had been completely defeated.

Once they had got over the shock and joy of the news, they stopped for a second of shock when they realised that Lindon generally had come out of the War of the Ring virtually unscathed and with nothing more than token attacks on the land. They had expected to be besieged, as they had in the fights against Dark Lords at the end of the previous two Ages. It was strange for the country to be the almost untouched periphery for once.

The celebrations were a bit muted in memory of all the Elves and Men who had died in the war, but in the palace it was also because of the private message Elrond had sent with the missive that invited Silari to come with him when he left to take Arwen to Gondor for Aragorn.

That message was sobering both because it meant that Silari would be leaving for a long time but more because it meant that Arwen was going to give up her immortality for certain. A part of everyone had been hoping the marriage wouldn't take place for the pain and bitterness it would bring Elrond's family. It was very much a lose-lose situation, and no one liked it much. Silari was also not looking forward to the awkwardness on the journey as well.

The night before she left for Rivendell, she was sitting curled with Cirdan as was their custom, talking together.

"If you think this trip is going to be so depressing, why don't you brighten it up a bit and if anyone objects, blame the Twins?" Cirdan suggested, lips quirking mischievously.

"Brighten things up? What sort of brightening would I do that requires a scapegoat?" She had a good idea what he meant.

"Oh don't tell me you grew up round Elrond and Elros without learning to prank! Both of them were very mischievous when they were young. They grew out of it, something I see no sighs of Elrond's Twins doing unfortunately, but I am certain you are fully able to summon up some of that sense of humour for the greater good..." He trailed off, grinning roguishly.

"Did you just suggest I start a pranking campaign?" Silari asked in amazement. This was the last person she thought would suggest such mischief.

"Yup. I wish I could be with you; I have had little opportunity to exercise my sense of humour to its full extent since I last saw Elwe, sorry Thingol to you." Silari's eyebrows shot up and she stared at her betrothed in pure undiluted shock, as well as enquiringly. "I am guessing you want anecdotes?"

"I am seriously wondering just what I have let myself into, agreeing to marry you. If you're offering to tell me amusing stories about the august King of Doriath though, I am not complaining." Cirdan laughed and began.

"I found this moss that glowed in the dark once, not a particularly pretty place, but never mind, and I crushed it up and mixed it in with the soap Elwe used and he glowed green all night every night until the stuff washed off. It really was a disgusting shade of green..." Cirdan was staring into the fire in remembrance, twinkling expression of recollection on his face.

"Did he find out who did it?" Silari asked, highly curious.

"No, he was too busy sulking and trying to find a way to remove the stuff. I have never come across something that clung as much as that stuff. I wonder what happened to that moss."

"I have seen some moss that grows in rotten swaps that glows in the dark, though I have never tried crushing it up and putting it in someone's soap before." She grinned up at Cirdan who took the opportunity to kiss her.

"Oh, stay here a minute, I have something for you. I nearly forgot." With that he rose and left the room, leaving one confused elleth. A few minutes later, he returned with a box in his hands and handed it to her. She looked up at him enquiringly. "I thought you could do with something special to wear at Estel and Arwen's wedding. It also says 'mine' really quite conclusively as well; I wouldn't want all those Men to think they had a chance of getting you." She grinned; Cirdan's possessive nature was a running joke between them.

Inside the box was a stunning dress of the most elegant gossamer-satin that floated around and shimmered in the light. It was ice-blue with complicated designs that matched her circlet. The best bit was that, shortly after they had been betrothed, Cirdan had taken the circlet and made the very slight adjustments that would make it the official one of his bonded-mate. As Arwen had said, he had added a few pale blue jewels and a little adjustment to the design of whorls and swirls. Now Silari could see what Arwen had meant. It had been one of the main factors starting the possessiveness joke...

"Oh, Cirdan! It's beautiful, but it would be terribly bad form to out shine the bride..." She was grinning though. She didn't care if she outshone Arwen, well not too much, the gown was too lovely. It wasn't like Arwen didn't already have the upper hand and the gorgeous stakes. Silari's main plus point was being different.

They spent quite a while kissing after that before Cirdan sent her to bed to ensure she was not too tired for travel the next day and carefully assured her that he would make sure the dress was packed with her stuff.

It took Silari quite a while to get to sleep as she was too high on a cloud. This trip was beginning to look more interesting.


	17. Chapter 17

Etyanárë chapter 17

Cirdan was up early the next morning to see her off.

"I also made sure a couple of other things you might need to brighten up your journey are in the pack as well, Meleth." He grinned wickedly. Silari raised her eyebrows at him. "I put some lobster shells in. There are multiple 'things' you could do with them to someone who hasn't seen them before... you get the idea. There are also a few other aides, with instructions in case you don't know what they are." Silari had to try hard not to laugh; she had never put down the oldest Lord in the world as a mischief-maker.

She kissed Cirdan once more before leaving with the escort he insisted on sending – just in case. She had rolled her eyes when he had suggested it, but hadn't argued too much, she knew he was protective because he loved her. She enjoyed love too much to be too annoyed for long by its more irritating manifestations.

At least the guards would look after the pack animals. Every cloud has a silver lining...

As she rode to Rivendell, she spent the long boring hours thinking up ways to brighten up what was sure to be a tense ride to Minas Tirith. The first night, when they stopped, she examined the extra things Cirdan had packed. He sure did have a very strange sense of humour; she only had to think of the supplies to feel the urge to laugh. She didn't, largely because the elven escort would think her insane if she did.

Sure enough, when she reached Rivendell, anyone could see that the civility between Arwen and Elrond was highly forced. Everyone was tiptoeing round the pair rather carefully; it was like walking on glass.

The night after she arrived, Silari was already fed up of it and went to find Elrond on his own. When she entered his office he looked up at her with a face like thunder.

"Is this necessary, Silari? I am very busy organising this trip to Gondor." He virtually spat the word 'Gondor'. Without invite, Silari sat down on the chair in front of Elrond's desk.

"Elrond, calm down, stop stressing and please don't ruin Arwen's happiness by being such an old boar." Elrond was staring at her in pure undiluted shock.

"Pray tell why shouldn't I be less than happy that my daughter is going to be lost to a falling race of Men, who are not worthy of her!" Wow, she thought, Elrond _was _stressed.

"I seem to remember you saying that when Estel attained the thrones of Gondor and Arnor, then he would be worthy of her."

"Don't twist my words!" Silari laughed – Elrond was not amused.

"Oh do calm down, 'rondy old boy." Well, if looks could kill...

"Why?"

"If you don't, I will be forced to take steps." She rose and turned to leave. As she reached the door, Elrond spoke again.

"Steps?"

"Just a friendly warning, the sort of steps I took with Elros." She left that hanging in the air as she left the room.

XXX

On May 1st they left Rivendell and since Elrond's mood had shown little improvement Silari was ready for stage one of her campaign.

No one was particularly heartbroken when Elrond retired early rather than sitting around the fire talking with them, his mood having made everyone else feel that they could not enjoy themselves in his presence. Thankfully people also failed to notice the sleeping draught in his drink.

Much later that night, when no one was watching her, she snuck into his tent, armed with her weapons of choice. Seagull feathers.

XXX

The next morning, Elrond emerged from his tent drowsy from the draught and unaware of his predicament. He raised first a few subtle amused glances, then rather more less subtle looks of amusement. Eventually ,Glorfindel felt the urge to comment.

"Erm, Elrond, did you by chance have a run in with a bird during the night?" Elrond looked at him confused. He then looked annoyed as there were several quiet sniggers. As Elrond continued to look sleepy and confused the Golden Lord took pity on his friend and led Elrond over to a nearby pool which Elrond looked into for about ten seconds before yelling at the top of his voice.

"Etyanárë!" Silari grinned; he obviously knew exactly who was responsible. She wasn't quite sure why he had used her old name, possibly because the last time she had pranked was back in the First Age.

Elrond stormed over to her and looked about to blow up. He lifted one feather bedecked braid and opened his mouth to yell at her. She got in first.

"I did warn you, Elrond, you can't say I didn't. The ultimatum still stands. Cheer up or you get introduced to my sense of humour. Again." She grinned cheekily at him before getting up and walking over to her horse and mounting up, riding off for a while to prevent being on the receiving end of Elrond's wrath over her gluing feathers into his hair. If he was in a better mood later, she might tell him how to remove the glue, it wasn't really that hard.

XXX

For the rest of the journey to Lorien, Elrond was civil, barely. He clearly had the common sense to be as nice and polite and whatever as he could manage for fear of retribution. He managed it better after Silari had shown him how to remove the feathers.

When they reached Lorien though, there was another problem. Many of the Elves there barely concealed their low opinions the fact Arwen was marrying a human and Silari felt another object lesson was needed.

One of the things Cirdan had packed for her was several solid dye blocks. The afternoon before they left, she climbed into a tree above the spring pools. Only the well pool had swiftly draining water and was not bathed in, but the others, on the other hand...

No one noticed her slide the disk of compressed dye powder into the pool. Well, not then. By the time anyone noticed, half of Lorien had been dyed an interesting colour. The best bit was that the dye wouldn't leave the pools until tomorrow by which time, anyone travelling with them would not be able to go wash off. All those snobby Elves would be suffering the consequences of being up themselves for quite a while. Elrond seemed to find that much funnier. So did the entire Rivendell party, who all also seemed to have absolutely no idea who the culprit was... really.

XXX

Silari knew it would not be long before someone made some sort of comment that would be offensive and so spent her evenings after they had left preparing her next attack. It is amazing what you can do with bits of string and a warped sense of humour.

Haldir was the unlucky Elf and, joy of joys, he had never been near the sea and couldn't identify a shell fish if he tried.

Perfect.

One night, just after Elladan and Elrohir had joined the party, Haldir went to his pack for something and within seconds was squealing like a girl. Behind him was the lobster, rolling forward, claws clicking. He carried on yelling at an impressively high note as the shellfish jumped off the top of the things in his pack and appeared to follow him. He jumped back and tried to move back a few times before stepping on the thing and jumping back before trying again more forcefully before chucking a knife at it, breaking the shell. It was at that point he discovered the mechanism Silari had rigged inside to get the thing to move.

It then dawned on him that he had screamed like a girl several times and ran from a mechanised shell. He covered his pure embarrassment at making such a fool of himself in front of his Lord and Lady by going incandescent with rage. Thankfully, this time no one did know who was responsible, though the look Elrond threw Silari suggested he could guess. Most credited it to the Twins, who were more than willing to accept credit, due or otherwise.

XXX

Approximately two weeks later, they all reached Minas Tirith, the dye having washed out by then, and stopped a little way beyond the remains of Ramas Echor for the night to give them chance to make themselves look presentable for arrival. Silari and Arwen prepared together with their maids for the occasion, and Arwen made a request that touched Silari's heart.

"Silari, will you stand in the place of my mother at the wedding? Nana was very fond of you and well..." She trailed off self-consciously.

"Oh, Arwen, of course I will stand by you at your wedding, I just wish you could be there for mine as well." They both knew that she would not be able to leave Gondor to come to Mithlond for the wedding, set to be as soon after Silari's return as possible.

When they rode into the city the next day, Silari was on one side of Arwen and Elrond the other. To all outward view they were a happy family delivering a daughter to be married.


	18. Chapter 18

Etyanárë chapter 18

When they entered the city, the entire party was greeted enthusiastically by the populace and their ascent to the top of the city was slow, if flower-lined.

Eventually though, they reached the citadel where they were met by a very expectant Aragorn, or Elessar to use his most recent name, and his entire court. Though the occasion was formal and very public, Aragorn swept Arwen into his arms and kissed her soundly. Silari looked at Elrond, who was wearing a slightly strained look on his face, somewhere between happiness at seeing his daughter so clearly happy and pain from knowing he had lost her. In response Silari place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Eventually, or so it seemed, they were shown into the privacy of the King's House and were led to the large sitting room at one end. As well as Arwen's family and Silari, the entire Fellowship and two Men named Faramir and Imrahil joined them. Aragorn did the introductions to the many questions and the surprise of Mithrandir when Silari did not seem in the slightest bit scared of him.

"When did you lose all that timidity of yours, Silari?" She grinned and held up the hand which bore her engagement ring.

"Roughly the same time I received this." The wizard's eyebrows shot up.

"Who gave you that, I was unaware you were in a relationship with anyone?" Both Celeborn and the Twins burst out laughing and Elrond, Galadriel and Arwen all looked more than mildly amused.

"Mithrandir, you have to be the only person in the world who has not heard of the relationship between Silari and Cirdan. That is actually funnier than Haldir and that thing." Silari snorted with laughter; apparently Celeborn had never seen a lobster before either.

"Haldir and what thing?" Legolas asked curiously, mouth twitching into a smile. He could sense a funny story.

"Oh, Haldir made some unpleasant comments and so a couple of days later he opened his pack and found a lobster shell chasing him. He screamed like a girl and ran from an oversized mollusc. It was highly amusing, especially when he realised it was an empty shell with some crude string and wood mechanism inside." The Dwarf, Gimli, seemed to find that funniest, though it was a close run thing.

"Incidentally, lady Silari, what are 'lobsters'?" Legolas asked. Imrahil answered this time.

"They are a large shellfish with huge claws and they go red when cooked. Lobster meat is very nice to eat, but ferociously expensive. It is quite the delicacy in Dol Amroth." Celeborn narrowed his eyes at Silari.

"If that lobster is a shellfish then it would have come from a coastal town, am I right?" She nodded, trying and failing to look innocent. "Which means that you would be the one responsible for the prank, doesn't it?" She grinned unrepentantly at him.

"Blame Cirdan, it was his idea, well mostly – I just had to carry it out and mechanise the thing. I think that he was thinking of using it on you, actually." Everyone was staring at her in shock at the notion that the shipwright would have such a sense of humour. Well Celeborn wasn't, he was staring at the ceiling with a 'why me' expression.

They spent much of the rest of the night talking and getting familiar with each other again. During the evening, all the pranks of the journey were revealed to those who hadn't been there for them and Silari, now revealed as the culprit, explained the reasoning behind each. Both Arwen and Aragorn seemed pleased by her protectiveness of them, though the Twins seemed more disappointed that they had not been able to bring out her sense of humour earlier and make use of it.

XXX

The next morning, Silari helped Arwen prepare again this time helping her into a stunning navy-blue gown with silver and white embroidery. As was the Gondorian tradition, she had a light lacy veil pinned into her hair over the silver circlet she wore. Once she was dressed, Silari also donned the gown Cirdan had given her and braided her own circlet into her hair.

While waiting for the afternoon to come, when the ceremony was, they sat around the dressing room talking before they ate a light lunch. Silari also spent much time calming down Arwen, who was more than slightly nervous.

Eventually though, the time came for them to go to the citadel courtyard where the ceremony was to take place. Mithrandir was to perform the ceremony with Legolas and Gimli standing beside Aragorn and Elrond and Silari beside Arwen.

Silari paid little attention to the words of the ceremony, bar for the bits which required her input, and she suspected the case was the same for the happy couple. Whenever she looked at Elrond though, she could see he was a couple of steps from tears as the words were the last nails in the coffin that was Arwen's mortality. As she watched the grieving Elf, her heart went out to her childhood friend for the loss of his beloved daughter. She wanted to hold him close and let him cry out his grief on her shoulder, as he had done for her when her father died.

After the ceremony, they all convened to the Hall of Feasts and the celebrations commenced. There was dancing after the main feast and everyone joined in. As sunset neared though, Silari went out into one of the recently rejuvenated gardens to watch the sunset, remembering that she would usually do this wrapped in Cirdan's arms.

As the last rays of red began to fade from the horizon, she felt another presence beside her and turned slightly to see the reborn wizard standing there, also watching the horizon. After a few moments, he spoke.

"You remember the promise I made you the first time we met?" She looked at the wizard curiously, it had been the time he had went through with the thirteen Dwarves and Bilbo Baggins. The promise had been about finding out about her place in Valinor. "When I died, I was able to talk to my master and with Eru himself much more directly than is usual. It was at that time I received your answer." Silari looked at the wizard, silently urging him to go on. "They do not hold any responsibility to you for your father's actions and you are welcome there." In pure relief, she hugged the Istar tightly.

"Thank you! You have no idea how much that relieves me Mithrandir. Oh thank you!" He smiled at her mysteriously with a pleased twinkle in his eyes and turned back to go inside. Shortly after that, another presence joined her. This time it was the Prince of Mirkwood, an Elf Silari knew little of.

"One wonders why there would be a fear that your father's actions would bar you from Valinor?" He asked quietly, not looking at her face, but at the landscape. Silari looked at his face for a second or two, deciding whether to tell him or not.

"I am the only daughter of Maglor, Your Highness, and the Valar are not noted for their forgiving nature." That statement made the dark haired Elf's head shoot round to her.

"You are the only descendant of Feanor?" She nodded, worried about his reaction. He regarded her for a few minutes before smiling. "I guess that explains your rather special hair colour then. I had been wondering where you came by it." She nodded gently.

"I had better get inside and ensure that everyone is still behaving. I know Estel and Arwen will most probably have disappeared by now, but I want to make sure that no one was being nasty or else some more object lessons may be in order." The prince grinned at the notion.

"You might want to get Haldir, he is still overdue some for being nasty about Gimli when we first entered Lorien. I would have found some suitable revenge already, but I was otherwise occupied." The return grin was almost feral – Silari had not taken to that particular Elf.

Inside the Hall, no one seemed to have noticed the disappearance of Silari for an hour or two and so, after a few more dances, she retired to her room.

She did not sleep however, she was too busy planning her own contributions to the wedding festivities.

Maybe she would be able to get out the city for a nice quiet ride. Some of the supplies she needed grew outside the city.

When she did finally get to sleep though, there was a distinctly worrying grin spread across her face. That expression was not one you would want to get in the way of, and Haldir really had better watch out.


	19. Chapter 19

Etyanárë Chapter 19

The next morning, around dawn and long before any of the nobility had risen, mostly all still hung over from the night before. A short way outside the city though, Silari was joined by another rider. She glanced sideways to notice it was a human girl with dark hair that was riding side saddle, and trying her best to stay on at that pace.

It did not take the pair long to reach the wooded area near the river back and swing off their horses. Now they were still, Silari could see more of her uninvited companion. She was definitely of noble birth, around twenty, and bore a striking resemblance to the Prince of Dol Amroth. She was actually very pretty, though if her hair had been brushed and she was made up for an evening she had the potential to be beautiful.

"May I enquire as to who are you? I am certain we have not met as of yet." The girl caught her breath after a few seconds and answered her.

"I am Lothiriel of Dol Amroth, you are the Lady Silari, who everyone in the city is talking about."

"Everyone is talking about me? What are they saying, and why?" Silari was fascinated and not a little unnerved.

"You are the only Elf around with hair that colour and many are wondering where you came by it. Some even reckon you must have Feanorian blood in you; the scholars would love it if you did. It is very hard getting information so early on, in the rare event (barring this one) that you can get to an Elf to talk to, then they either won't talk about the Kinslayings or give a really biased account. They all want someone on the other side or at least not so biased. Then everyone also wants to know about your husband as you are obviously not Arwen's mother and not married to Elrond, but you wear a ring and the symbols of an important house, papa told me it was Cirdan of the Grey havens who is supposed to be the oldest Elf in the world..." She trailed off as Silari raised a hand to stop her. It seemed the girl could talk for eternity.

"One, I am engaged to, not married to Cirdan and yes he is the oldest Elf in the world. Two, even if I were inclined to talk about Feanor, his sons or the Kinslayings to your scholars, I am not that much help as I was only eight years old when the final Kinslaying happened and in elven years, that is an infant. I was still learning to talk properly. Thirdly, why did you follow me out of the city?" Lothiriel's eyes had been widening steadily as Silari spoke, but the last point made her snap out of it.

"I wanted to talk to you, without court protocols which make everything so boring." Silari smiled at that, though the reaction went unnoticed by Lothiriel, who was still talking. "When I saw you go to the stables then I decided to follow you so I could talk to you somewhere without nobles all over the place being so annoying." Silari nodded gently and removed some linen sample bags from her saddle bags.

"If you want to talk, help me with this." Lothiriel nodded contentedly at her and took a sample bag. Silari directed her to certain wildflowers to pick and put in different bags. Eventually, they had filled the bags and were sitting down by a stream bank they had found. While talking to the very curious and surprisingly innocent Princess of Dol Amroth, Silari sat with some more things she had got from her saddle bags carefully using the flowers to make a thick honey like substance that smelled strongly of flowers. She had to knock away several insects while doing so. Eventually Lothiriel asked the question Silari had been expecting.

"What are you doing?"

"Can you keep a secret? I mean, really secret?" The answer was immediate and predictable. "There is an Elf who said something nasty about someone I like, though it is not like I was fond of him anyway, and this is an important part in introducing him to politeness. One would have thought he would have got the point after he got chase by a mechanised lobster shell but no. Males!" Lothiriel laughed.

"What is that going to do?"

"You see the way the insects are attracted to the stuff?" She nodded. "Imagine what it would be like if his hair was covered in it." Lothiriel looked at her wide-eyed for a moment before grinning in a distinctly disturbing way, well disturbing for anyone who had no idea as to the cause.

XXX

When they got back to the city Imrahil was waiting for them, clearly worried.

"Lothiriel, where have you been? I was worried for you, for all we know there could have been Orcs still out there or something!"

"Don't worry, Prince Imrahil, I was with her and rather better prepared. I have fought Orcs more than often enough to have got the two of us back here safely. We were both perfectly fine." Imrahil looked relieved, even if he could tell his daughter had got back safely.

"What were you two doing for most of the morning? No one seemed to have any idea, other than you had gone for a ride."

"We were collecting flowers and talking, My Lord, and talking – you know, girly things." That answer seemed to satisfy him as to their activities and they were allowed to go to lunch.

XXX

The next day Haldir went to train with the Guard and several other Elves. They were doing the training on the Pelennor Fields, just outside the city next to where the Elves had camped. There also happened to be a thriving insect colony there, though it was not immediately noticeable to the human eye.

What was noticeable, after the first few rounds of shots, was that Haldir's hair seemed to be changing colour as it was encased by a large amount of insect life magnetically attracted to his hair. They could obviously smell the sweet smelling nectar Silari had applied to his hair while he was unconscious and held in the hands of another well hidden sleeping draught.

What had been most funny was that his hair had absorbed the stuff and it did technically have a rejuvenating effect on his hair, protecting it from damage. It just so happened that it also attracted all pollen collecting insects.

As the bees swarmed round the unfortunate Elf, who by now was being laughed at for the amount of insects round his head, Silari remembered how she had discovered that trick.

Way back when she was only a child, one of the ladies of court had got an apothecary or someone like that to make her up a hair rejuvenating serum sure that her hair had needed protecting against something. Not long after she had walked a little too near a bee hive in the palace grounds. No need to describe the effects. She had, unfortunately for her, not realised the cause of her attraction to the insects and had continued to use the stuff. That stopped when she woke up one morning with a fruit bat surgically attached to her hair. The thing had clung on to her hair through just about anything.

A smile tugging at her mouth, Silari looked towards Elrond who apparently sensed her gaze and grinned at her before bidding her over to join him and Celeborn, who were watching the drama surrounding Haldir with barely concealed amusement.

"Silari, do you know what this reminds me of?" She grinned at him.

"Probably the same thing it reminds me of, Elrond." He laughed.

"Do you remember, it was that annoying girl, Gaernif, I think her name was. Totally image centred. I remember she called us mixed blood freaks of nature once, we tried to dye her hair blonde, but something went wrong with the dye and I came out this horrible shade of orange. That was so funny, though the powder that made her skin come up in pimples was pretty amusing too."

They looked at each other and laughed.

XXX

Over the next few weeks, Silari got to know Lothiriel very well and they became fast friends. It was a strange pair, an ancient Elf and a young, happy princess who seemed to be the only person not prematurely aged by the War. Silari suspected that her father and brothers had gone out of their way to protect her from it's the harsh realities.

Not long after the end of the wedding festivities, Eomer and Eowyn returned to the White City to collect the body of Theoden. The afternoon after the welcome feast, the group sat in a private sitting room talking. It was the same group that had been there when the Elves had arrived with the additions of Eomer, Eowyn and Imrahil's children.

Silari and Eowyn had hit it off immediately, for though their experiences were not the same, there was a similarity between them that drew them together. Though Silari had yet to tell Eowyn about her heritage, she had been able to empathise with the woman in a way she had not with most other people.

After several hesitant looks from Imrahil Silari got bored of them and asked what they were about. Everyone in the room seemed to go quiet and turn to them to hear this conversation.

"I was wondering, since you seem to be so eager to get back to your betrothed and as he is the Lord of the Grey Havens, whether you would prefer to, instead of taking the long ride back, which I have heard is going to go at a distinctly leisurely pace, come down to my city and to take ship round the coast and up to the Grey Havens." Silari looked at him in surprise of the offer. She would really quite like to do that, she knew it to be a much faster route than by land, but she was not sure. She then turned to Elrond, Eomer and Eowyn in question silently asking if they had any objections. Elrond spoke up first.

"I have no objections to that plan, and I am absolutely certain Cirdan won't mind. I can virtually imagine him jumping for joy at the suggestion actually. It is a running joke how much he hates to be away from you. I sometimes think he has been besotted since he met you 500 years ago." The other Elves in the room laughed at that. Eowyn threw a questioning look at her brother before answering for Rohan.

"Eomer and I would not mind either, I am not looking forward to the one year betrothal period and hated this short separation I have suffered. I dread to think how bad it must be for you. How long have you been engaged?"

"Since the year Thoeden came to the throne, about 40 years I would guess." Everyone in the room winced. It was not all that uncommon for humans not to live much past that age, especially among the lower classes. To be engaged that long seemed interminable to their perception of time.

"So does that mean you will be taking that option, Lady Silari?" Imrahil asked.

"Yes, I think so. Would I be allowed to take Princess Lothiriel with me, though? I would greatly enjoy her presence and I have promised her a tour of Mithlond if she ever gets there, so it seems a perfect opportunity."

"Of course, then I will send Amrothos with the two of you as well to look after the ship and bring her back safely as well. I am sure he will be fascinated with the elven port, that sort of thing interests him greatly."

And so it was set, Silari and the two youngest royals of Dol Amroth would sail round to Mithlond and await the arrival of Elrond and co to celebrate her wedding to Cirdan. Silari almost couldn't wait. Lothiriel's demeanour suggested that she agreed.


	20. Chapter 20

Etyanárë chapter 20

It had been arranged so that Silari's party would leave for Dol Amroth after the ride to Rohan had started. For political reasons, it was necessary for her and the full Dol Amrothian royalty to be seen leaving with the cortege but after a day or so with the procession then Silari, Lothiriel and Amrothos, with a guard, would break off and make for the port.

The plan went without a hitch and soon they were riding South. First they went to Pelargir, where they took a ship round to Dol Amroth and stopped a couple of days while a larger ship better suited for the long journey south was prepared. They would have gone from Osgiliath, but it was still severely damaged from the War and lacked infrastructure for such a high ranking party to leave by. There were no suitable ships there and there had not been time to send for one, just to start the list of problems of going from Osgiliath.

Silari found that she liked Dol Amroth, for though it had typical Gondorian formality, it was also a port city with resemblances to Mithlond. Though there were resemblances, particularly because Dol Amroth was a city of elven origin, there was also this dirtiness that existed about and you wouldn't want to be near the harbour too long. It seemed as if humans could not get round the notion that if you threw your rubbish in the sea then it came back within a day. In return for food, Imrahil had employed some of the poorest people to go out in boats to clear to harbour, but that only helped with rather than dealt with the problem.

When they did leave the city, they were on a large royal ship with blue sails embroidered with the white swan of Dol Amroth on it. The cabins at the aft of the ship were luxurious and the trip round the coast was very comfortable and enjoyable.

One of the things that made the trip more interesting was that, instead of following the coast totally, they swung out to sea and went out in a rough L shape before pulling into land again. Silari spent much of the journey out on the decks with Lothiriel and Amrothos. This was partly because she had found that being below decks made her feel slightly sick.

Both royals were very nervous about going to an elven city. Many of their conversations covered elven culture, how they should behave there and such like. What was embarrassing, were the questions on elven marriages. Silari realised that she knew very little about the traditions for marriage, having not been present for any since the First Age and then she had been hidden away and had not experienced them really, which still wouldn't have been that helpful as traditions and such like had changed over the millennia. She was suddenly glad she would have a little while before Elrond and suchlike arrived for the wedding, she seriously needed to swat up on customs.

The journey from Dol Amroth took around a fortnight and they passed into the Gulf of Lune around the end of August. Once they were inside the Gulf Silari was able to point out landmarks with great accuracy, remembering them from when Cirdan had taken her on a tour just before he proposed to her. Both Lothiriel and Amrothos noticed this increase in knowledge.

"How come you know so much more since we entered the Gulf?" Lothiriel smiled sideways at her.

"The day Cirdan proposed to me he took me out round the Gulf on his own ship and showed me the sights before having a lobster meal served up and asking me to marry him. Elves have a very good memory and I remember that day very well for obvious reasons and therefore can remember all the things he pointed out to me. Since he has lived here since the start of the Second Age, around the time Númenor was founded, he knows the area very well." Both just smiled at her, seeing the glow she apparently (according to them) got whenever talking about Cirdan.

Shortly after that, they actually entered the harbour they aimed towards an empty wharf where Elves immediately started preparing for docking. As they got closer to the jetty, both Amrothos and Lothiriel were marvelling about the cleanliness of the harbour, but Silari was only half-listening. She was watching the silver head entering the harbour that she knew, both by good eyesight and by the feeling in her heart, was Cirdan's.

As they got nearer Silari could see the look of confusion on the faces of the Elves, clearly wondering what a Dol Amroth ship was doing entering the harbour. Of course they didn't know who was on the ship so the unexpected arrival of a human ship had probably been why Cirdan had been sent for. With a hint of mischief, Silari made sure neither she nor Amrothos and Lothiriel could be seen until the ship had fully docked.

"Silari, why are we hiding in the cabin?"

"Because I want to see the look on Cirdan's face when he sees who is aboard." Both of them grinned at her at that comment. She had found that both of them had an evil sense of humour at the best of times.

When the ship had docked, they came out to Cirdan standing on the wharf, talking to the captain facing the other way in the most perfect position. The wharf had been designed for large ships so people boarding and getting off could do so easily and this meant that Silari could sneak up behind him. As she was doing so, Galdor, who was facing her, caught sight of her and as his eyes were widening she put her finger to her lips. He quickly winked at her and tried to look like nothing had happened. He failed, but by the time Cirdan was asking what was up she was behind him.

She wrapped her arms round his neck and whispered one word in his ear,

"Boo!"

Cirdan spun round, catching her as she fell off balance, and stared at her for a few seconds in shock before pulling her into a deep kiss.

"Silari! What, how?" he finally got out.

"Prince Imrahil decided to offer the ship to get me here faster so we could marry as soon as Elrond could get here and so on. I had absolutely no objections to getting to see you so much sooner." Cirdan laughed and kissed her again.

"And neither do I Silari, who are they?" He asked, looking over to the two humans behind her.

"Cirdan, may I introduce Princess Lothiriel and Prince Amrothos of Dol Amroth, the youngest children of Prince Imrahil. I brought Lothiriel because she's my friend and Amrothos is here to be the over-protective older brother." Cirdan laughed, as did both humans. She had said this last sentence in the common tongue for the benefit of the humans who, though they theoretically could speak Sindarin, were not totally fluent by any stretch.

Cirdan smiled at them and welcomed them to his city before helping Lothiriel off the ship and she was followed by her brother before they were shown to the palace. Throughout the trip through the more affluent part of Mithlond, they were quiet, staring at the elven architecture and the graceful people who walked the streets. They had been awed by the Elves visiting Minas Tirith, but to be in home territory, probably the most ancient elven city remaining in Middle Earth, was a whole new experience. Both Cirdan and Galdor had the manners not to mention the awed looks and not to talk to them too much while they were getting over the awe.

XXX

That evening the four of them, Lothiriel, Amrothos, Silari and Cirdan, sat round the private sitting room that Silari and Cirdan normally watched the sunset in. Silari was wrapped in Cirdan's arms on one couch and on the one opposite sat Lothiriel in roughly the same position with Amrothos, looking as comfortable as Silari felt in the affectionate position.

They spent much time sitting silently, little conversation necessary, before Silari brought up something that had been bothering her.

"Cirdan, one thing those two managed to make me aware of was the fact that I have not even been in a elven city for a wedding, let alone be present for one, since I lived with Adar in Hithlum (AN: forgive me if that is the wrong place for where Maglor lived before he went wondering or whatever, I have had distinct trouble finding much information on the point) and well, erm..." She trailed off, embarrassed to ask about the wedding traditions of her own kind.

"You want to know the traditions of our kind before the big day?" Cirdan sounded amused, though Silari could not see his face. Sheepishly, she nodded. "It is very simple really, there is a big feast in the afternoon and then lots of general partying before a group of the happy couple's nearest and dearest escort them – with bad jokes abound – to their married quarters, unless of course the couple have managed to escape early and if we get to our rooms without being caught then no one is going to stop us." Both Lothiriel and Amrothos had their mouths hanging open. Amrothos was the first one to speak.

"It's that simple?" Cirdan laughed, though Silari was also a little pink.

"The binding is in the joining of the bodies, not any ceremony. The feast and all that are simply celebrations, not necessity. In the elven world, if you have slept with someone, then you are married to them."

"Wow, that must complicate your sex life..." muttered Amrothos, to an elbow jab from his sister in his ribs. A quiet _oof_ followed.

Silari remained slightly pink for the rest of the evening, for some reason she couldn't keep her mind off speculating on what was necessary for her to become bound to Cirdan. It wasn't that she regretted agreeing to be his wife or anything – quite the opposite – but she had never thought about _that_ part of it before. It was embarrassing.

She had a feeling she would have trouble sleeping that night.


	21. Chapter 21

Etyanárë chapter 21

She was right, she hadn't slept much with her speculations and she was really beginning to hope that Cirdan at least knew what he was doing. That thought turned her pink all over again.

She was second into the dining room, after Cirdan, who noticed both the tiredness and the slight flush at the same time.

"Are you okay, Silari? Don't tell me you slept well, I can tell otherwise. What is bothering you?" He was like a mother hen sometimes.

"Well, after that conversation last night, I realised that I had never thought about doing, well _that_ with ... erm, well anyone, particularly, well not erm us, well you know... you and..." She stuttered off, not really sure how to say it and finding saying it at all very embarrassing. She looked up at Cirdan, cheeks bright red in a way that _really_ clashed with her hair. Where the hell had that thought came from?

Cirdan was watching her with an expression she couldn't quite translate and emotions flitted through his eyes. He held her chin up to look in her eyes then lent down and kissed her tenderly.

"Silari, meleth nin, there is no need to worry, I would never hurt you or rush you. I will wait for you until you are ready, whenever that may be." He sounded so gentle, it was hard to believe.

"I never thought you would, Órenya, it is just that it recently occurred to me that I know absolutely nothing about all this." The flush had gone down somewhat and she bit her lip before leaning up and kissing her beloved gently. The tender moment ended when both Lothiriel and Amrothos entered the dining room.

"I thought you two were supposed to be waiting a bit?" The Prince asked, to another elbow in the guts. Evidently, the third in line to the throne didn't get lessons on tact. All the same, the comment dissolved any lingering emotions from the conversation.

XXX

After breakfast, both Silari and Lothiriel were packed off to the dressmakers to have their dresses made for the wedding. At first Lothiriel had been surprised at being included in getting a new dress, but Cirdan had waved off her feeble protests with a simple statement.

"Silari had selected you to be an attendant for the wedding which means you get a new gown yourself. I have to admit to already having had my clothing made, in anticipation of Silari's return. It appears that I am as impatient as my blushing bride over there." Apparently, Cirdan found Silari's recently found habit of blushing whenever she thought of the wedding amusing.

So there the pair were, standing in the too light and airy room with a bunch of clucking ellyth round them, trying not to fidget as the ellyth did goodness knows what with fabric. Silari had never been good with dress fittings and the look on Lothiriel's face suggested agreement. While the dressmakers were not looking, Silari pulled a face at Lothiriel, who grinned back.

Shortly after that, the head dressmaker came back from whatever she'd been doing with several junior girls behind her and a large pincushion in her hand. She asked Silari to put out her arms and began directing the juniors to drape ice-blue fabric over Silari's barely clad frame. That was one of the things Silari hated about dress fittings, the fact she had to stand around for hours in nothing, but a light shift while a bunch of people fussed round her with fabric.

As the head elleth carried on pinning the fabric in place, pins shifted from the cushion to her mouth and she began to look rather comical with several pins sticking out of her mouth. Silari caught Lothiriel's eye and they both stifled giggles. It was apparent that both were thinking the same thing. Silari bit her lip and stared towards the ceiling, anywhere other than the dressmakers or Lothiriel, else she would laugh.

XXX

By lunchtime, the two were finished with the dresses that covered far less than either Silari or Lothiriel would have liked. For some odd reason of Telerin culture, the gowns were thin, sleeveless and were only held up by a pin at each shoulder. A highly ornate and thoroughly beautiful pin each, but still just a pin.

Predictably at lunch, they were asked how the session went, which resulted in Lothiriel looking at Silari, clearly expecting her to be the one to answer.

"It was interesting, and informative in its own way. Incidentally Amrothos, you will probably have to leave your brotherly protectiveness behind for the wedding day. The appropriate dresses for the occasion need a little more imagination, that is a little more imagination for anyone looking who wants to guess what's underneath." She grinned sardonically as, for once, Lothiriel was the blushing one.

Amrothos' eyebrows shot up and Cirdan looked down into his glass, eyes dancing with amusement.

XXX

It was approximately a month and a half later when Elrond on his party arrived for the wedding, a month and a half that had been spent in near frantic activity preparing for everything.

When he arrived, Silari immediately saw that the intervening time had done him the world of good, for most of the stress lines were ironed out of his forehead and he seemed more relaxed all round. There was also Galadriel, Celeborn and the Twins in the party, not to mention Erestor and Glorfindel. The other significant person to arrive was, much to Silari's surprise, Mithrandir.

All the same, she greeted them profusely and affectionately. She thought that many of Cirdan's servants, not to mention the Lord himself and the two human royals she had brought with her, were very surprised to see her hug Galadriel and Celeborn, but both easily hugged her back. After their hugs, Galadriel pulled back and held her out to look at.

"My cousin! The sea ports suit you well, I have never seen you quite so alive and cheerful. I am glad to be here to see you bound to Cirdan, no doubt you will glow even more then." Silari grinned and blushed, ignoring the looks that crossed the faces of those who did not know her heritage.

"I am happier here than anywhere in the world and it is not the sea air that makes me so." She smiled sideways at Cirdan, who grinned back, to the laughs of everyone present and more than one comment of 'love struck' and similar phrases.

XXX

The wedding would take place two days afterwards and on the morning of the special day, Galadriel came to help them prepare. She had also acquired a suitable dress to be an attendant. Silari tried hard not to show her surprise at the Lady joining her attending party, but apparently it didn't work for Galadriel simply looked at her and laughed gently.

"Silari, Etyanárë, I am your only female blood relative this side of Valinor, no matter how distantly, and I am going to do my duty in seeing your married of to a Lord of greatness suitable to you. Anyway, in case you didn't realise, you are still technically a Princess of the Noldor and it is not proper for you not to have another Princess of the Noldor escort you to your wedding feast." Silari grinned and hugged the lady.

"I am glad for it, cousin, and I am more than glad for extra support, I am beyond nervous now." They both laughed, knowing that all girls in that position were nervous. It was then they noticed the incredibly curious expression on Lothiriel's face. Galadriel was, as always, the first to speak.

"She does not know your descent?" Silari shook her head, then smiled slight in assent to telling the human girl. "Lothiriel, you may not be aware but Silari, or Etyanárë as her father named her, is descended from my uncle Feanor through his second son, Maglor, who bound with a human of the First Age. It is through that line that we are related. Though, it is not likely you would not have lacked that piece of knowledge for long, for when we are announced, she will be announced as Maglor's daughter." Lothiriel nodded, very wide eyed. She had clearly not expected that.

XXX

Shortly after lunch, Silari was escorted to a large dining hall where the wedding feast would take place. Silari could tell that Lothiriel was glad for it in her skimpy clothing for the chill of autumn which affected the humans more was in the air.

The formal dining hall in Mithlond was rarely used and Silari had never gone inside before the preparation for the wedding had come along. The hall was quite long, though there were no formal tables as, by tradition of the Teleri which still stood in Mithlond, the meal was to be eaten as they would in a forest and so blankets and cushions had been spread out in a rough layout.

When Silari arrived, flowers woven into her hair, she stood at the top of the short flight of stairs leading into the hall for formal arrival. She carefully did not look to either of her attendants, knowing she would blush profusely if she did. Galadriel had spent the time during a light lunch giving Silari a very candid version of 'The Talk'. Silari didn't think either she or Lothiriel had ever been so pink in their lives.

As she stood there, Galadriel whispered to the herald or whatever he was the correct introductions. As she finished, the ellon's eyes went wide and he stared at Silari for a few moments before smiling and nodding. He then hesitantly leant towards her and whispered.

"I don't care what your father did, Lady, you are good and you make our Lord very happy. Best of luck to you and congratulations." Silari smiled, she had been feeling distinctly nervous about being announced fully for the first time and the herald's approval meant more to her than she could say. It also lessened her nerves significantly.

"Lords and Ladies, may I present Princess Lothiriel of Dol Amroth, and the Lady Galadriel who is acting in both her roles as Princess of the Noldor," There were gasps at that, Silari doubt that Galadriel had used that title in a very long time, "and the Lady of Light of Lorien who are both acting as attendants to the Princess Etyanárë of the Noldor, also known as Lady Silari of Imladris, daughter of Maglor of the line of Feanor, the intended bride of Lord Cirdan the shipwright, Lord of Mithlond and the Teleri of Arda."

The entire room went silent.

Silari forced herself to hold her composure as she stood there waiting. After a few moments, Galdor stood and started clapping her in approval. Then some more of those who had been present stood up and began clapping as well, and then others looked at Cirdan and the Lords around him who all showed no surprise whatsoever and also rose and began clapping. Once everyone was on their feet, showing their approval for her, then Cirdan rose as well. It was the only bit so far that was customary, for the clapping most definitely was not.

He lifted his arm to Silari in silent bidding and Silari descended the steps towards him. When she reached him, he pulled her into a deep kiss. Sometime during their kiss, the clapping petered out and when they pulled back, everyone was smiling at them approvingly. In sheer relief at being accepted, even with the knowledge of her heritage, Silari kissed Cirdan again and he took the opportunity to pull her onto the cushions on the floor.

XXX

They did manage to sneak away, and they stood in their private quarters watching the sunset behind the horizon. Silari leant back into Cirdan's embrace, enjoying the bright colours across the waves when she suddenly thought of something.

"Cirdan, I just thought of something I cannot believe if forgot to tell you." She felt his head slide down onto her shoulder and a gentle kiss beneath her ear asked her to go on. "When I was at Arwen's wedding and watching the sunset from one of the gardens, Mithrandir came out and told me that while he was dead, he got to talk to the Valar and Eru properly, including about me."

Cirdan swung her round to face him, eyes questioning, not daring to speak.

"They said I am more than welcome in Valinor, whenever I choose to come." Cirdan pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her. Soon the kiss degenerated and they ended up on the bed, sans clothing. As they lay there, joining after a very long courtship, the last rays of sun set – both elves' favourite time of the day – they caressed each other's bodies and then gave way to the sounds of hymns to Elbereth. Neither noticed either the rays or the music, totally entranced with each other.

Suffice to say they did not come out for quite a while.


	22. Chapter 22

Etyanárë chapter 22

Over the next year or so Silari got used to living in Lindon as Cirdan's wife, finding it immensely curious the way it was clear that the Elves who lived there really did not mind that she was the daughter of Maglor. That opinion was clearly at least partly because she made their Lord so happy. She always amazed by how personally they loved Cirdan and by extension, her.

During that time she took turns with Cirdan seeing the ships off. One of them was always in the quayside area when one of the ships leaving for Valinor went. It was slightly depressing to see all of her kind leaving the shores of Arda, though less so knowing that she would follow them eventually. It would not be for a long time though as she fully intended on staying with Cirdan throughout and he would not leave until the last ship went.

Towards the end of 3020 a message from Dol Amroth arrived that sent Silari off squealing. Lothiriel was engaged to Eomer and would be marrying in the spring of the next year and she had requested that Silari stand in place as her mother, since Lothiriel's had died some years earlier. Silari was more than pleased to do so and immediately sent off a message to that effect.

As soon as the weather was good enough to sail, both Silari and Cirdan boarded his large white ship and sailed south to Dol Amroth. From there, they would join the party travelling north to Rohan for the wedding. One thing Silari felt slightly bad for noticing was that she would sail into the harbour in a much more spectacular ship than had probably ever been seen there before. It was not the most charitable of thoughts in history.

As expected, the sleek white ship with its beautifully carved wood glided into the harbour elegantly, catching the eye of everyone there. Unsurprisingly 'everyone' included the entire Dol Amroth royal family, who were suitably amazed. Well, amazed bar Lothiriel and Amrothos who had seen elven ships before.

Needless to say, the elven couple made quite the entrance into the human port city. If Imrahil had been nice at Arwen and Aragorn's wedding, then he was even nicer now.

One their way north they met up with Aragorn and Arwen's party on the road, also travelling to the wedding. It was a joyous reunion, though slightly dampened by the news that Elrond, Galadriel and several other prominent Elves as well as the hobbits Frodo and Bilbo were going to sail. Though Elrond had been bitter at the passing they both missed each other terribly and this most final part hurt.

It did not take long of going north to cheer everyone up though. Most notably cheered was Aragorn, who clearly relished being travelling again and being free of the many restraints placed on him in his capital. There were still restraints on him that had not been there before, but they were much less and the ex-Ranger was savouring every extra bit of freedom he could get.

Eventually though, they reached Edoras, a city that Silari had not been for any significant time since getting engaged to Cirdan. She had stopped there for a short while with Arwen's entourage when going to Minas Tirith, but that had only been a stopover. It was a bit of novelty staying in the Golden Hall.

One of the most amusing things was that Eomer waited for the party a little way outside the city on his own and once the greeting had been done (including Eomer hugging Éowyn in such a way as to nearly pull her off her horse) then he picked Lothiriel up off her horse and placed her in front of him on Firefoot, his own mount.

The look of surprise on Lothiriel's face was classic and Silari giggled a little bit. Both Cirdan and Imrahil looked rather curious and surprised themselves and moved their mounts closer to Silari, the only person other than Éowyn who seemed to know what was going on. She grinned at the expressions which were quietly asking what was going on.

"You obviously have never found out how the Rohirrim claim a bride." They both raised their eyebrows questioningly, wondering what that comment was about. "They ride in with the bride then after the ceremony they ride out with her again to somewhere suitably remote where they can spend a few days trying to get an heir, to put it delicately. For some reason, girls always seem to get pregnant shortly after their weddings, though it is not unusual in Rohan for girls have 6 or 7 month pregnancies for some reason." She grinned at the wide-eyed males, who had clearly worked out what she was implying.

XXX

The wedding was suitably stupendous, though the celebrations seemed to favour eating, one hell of a lot of drinking (on the male's part anyway) and many jigs. Silari did notice that Lothiriel and Eomer managed to sneak away, no doubt to a suitably secluded house relatively nearby. All of her brothers seemed a bit miffed that they hadn't had the opportunity to tease, threaten Eomer and whatever else before the happy couple had left.

Silari and Cirdan took the cue to go find their own quarters do go do the same thing as she suspected Eomer and Lothiriel had been planning on doing as soon as possible. The elven couple took the opportunity of privacy to have a little laugh over Lothiriel's reaction to Silari taking the time to fulfil the mother's duty of giving Lothiriel 'the Talk', even though the human had been there for Silari's own 'Talk'. It was too fun embarrassing her to not do it.

XXX

After the wedding, Silari and Cirdan rode back down to Dol Amroth. From there it did not take long to get to Mithlond again and as soon as they were there, Cirdan got to work on finishing one of his masterpiece ships. This one had a particularly special job. It was not only the one which would carry Elrond, Galadriel and co to the Undying Lands, but it would also carry the Elendil Stone as well.

The Elendil Stone was technically one of the Palantir, but unlike the others, it had not been used for communication and only looked to its master stone in Tol Eressa, Valinor. It had last been used by Elendil and then kept guarded by Cirdan, but the time had come to send it back to its home and it was going with this momentous ship. Silari knew the ship was special; it was one of Cirdan's favourite topics of conversation.

On the 29th of September the party entered the city in the evening and, instead of staying the night, they boarded the ships immediately. The whole thing was followed by many tearful farewells and Silari handing over several letters that Arwen had sent as well as one of her own for Celebrían. Elrond and Galadriel promised faithfully to ensure that all the messages got to their intended receivers.

As the ship sailed away, Silari stood wrapped in Cirdan's arms, smiling wistfully. The gloom was lifted slightly when Shadowfax stuck his head over the side and whinnied, clearly not liking sailing much. Silari privately wondered why Mithrandir had taken the horse with him.

As the ship left the harbour, she turned to the three mournful Hobbits and Celeborn and then looked at Cirdan.

"He's your kinsman, so why don't you go and stop Celeborn moping. I'll take the hobbits." Cirdan smiled slightly and went over to Celeborn doing the gruff male comfort thing that Silari had never understood while she went over to the Hobbits and hugged them close.

"I know that it hurts to see him go, I have been there done that, but in Valinor he will be able to heal from the dark injuries in a way that he cannot here. This place is not pure enough and there is too much mess. He will be better off there." They looked up at her with wide eyes. Sam's were red rimmed as he opened his mouth to speak.

"When did you do it? Who do you know who needed the healing of Valinor?" he asked softly.

"Do you know about Lady Celebrían? She is the daughter of Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel and was married to Elrond. Come on, I'll tell the tale when we are back at the palace where we can sit comfortably. The harbour is hardly the place for such a delicate story, especially my private extra bits that not many people know. All but one of them, other than me obviously, just sailed as well." The Hobbits just looked at her and followed her lead and she quickly looked back to see Cirdan leading Celeborn in the same direction. The Twins had been there, but they had left earlier, not wanting to watch the ship go out of the harbour walls. Silari suspected it was too painful to watch the ship leave, especially as neither had made up their minds about their mortality yet.

XXX  
The meal that night was as muted as it had been the nights after Celebrían had left and there was a total lack of conversation, bar the Hobbits asking how one ate mussels. The concentration required for eating the shellfish gave everyone a suitable excuse for the lack of other conversation.

The group stayed until around the 6th of October, but the night before they left Silari and Cirdan, on a slightly juvenile impulse, decided to serve up lobster as the meal. Silari had related the story of the mechanised lobster prank and the reactions to Cirdan and they wanted to see how Celeborn reacted to being served up the giant prawn.

Celeborn didn't say anything, but his eyes widened significantly for a minute before he looked up at the pair beside him with an expression that just said 'ha ha ha, very funny'. Both grinned at him irreverently and turned to the Hobbits, who seemed even more shocked at the large red creature on their plates. Taking pity on the guests, Silari duly showed them how to get the lobster out of its shell.

XXX

The next day, the two forlorn groups left Mithlond, though Silari had given Celeborn a box with another mechanised lobster shell in it. This time she had had more time and better resources and the box included with it instructions on setting up the shell for movement, effectively turning the mollusc into a toy. She partly gave him the gift knowing he would not open it until Lorien. It was a pity she could not be there to see his reaction to it but probably safer, Celeborn had a high chance of not being amused – at least at first.

Even so, as she watched him ride away from her, she smiled mournfully, sad to see one of the last of a dwindling numbers of Elves go back to his fading realm. She knew it would not be that long until he left himself, for he missed his Lady greatly already. All the same, Silari hoped to sail with him when the time came. She hoped it would not be too long until the last of the Elves left for this slow fading was hard.

Oh well, she supposed, Men had to take over sometime.


	23. Chapter 23

Etyanárë chapter 23

Righty oh, folks, the latter part of this chapter is a direct reference to 'The Fate of Middle Earth', another story by me. You don't have to have read it in order to understand this chapter, but there is obviously far more background detail in that story.

Thank you very much, my very nice readers, please do read and whatever.

GaiaCaecilia

As the years past on, even Mithlond faded, though not as much as any other realm even if Eryn Lasgalen as it was now called came a close second.

The colony in Ithilien flared outwards, growing rapidly as the Elves moved to heal the Gondorian land, then fading quickly as those Elves felt the call of the sea and left again after a short time there. During that time, Silari sailed round to the southern kingdom and rode up to Edoras to visit Lothiriel and Arwen. She was there for the birth of Eldarion, the many daughters of Aragorn and Arwen, Lothiriel and Eomer's Elfwine, and for all of Éowyn and Faramir's children. In the visits she had grown close to Éowyn as well.

Silari then watched as the two human women grew old and died first and then Aragorn age as well and eventually watch him die 120 years into the Fourth Age. Then came news that Arwen had ridden to the now deserted Lorien to die herself. Celeborn had left a few decades earlier with the remaining tiny number of his people to move to the similarly depleted Rivendell and the news came by a Gondorian messenger that carried a message from Eldarion as well as a package of the last messages of Arwen, both for her elven family remaining in Arda and for Silari to take with her to Valinor.

Shortly after that, another messenger came saying how the ancient dwarf, Gimli, and Legolas had set sail in a ship Legolas had built in the last years before Aragorn had died.

XXX

A few decades later, Celeborn and the Twins, with the last remnants of Rivendell moved to Eryn Lasgalen, still the most thriving of the elven Realms. They soon came to the conclusion that the place was the most concealed and concealable of the realms left. That decision made Silari think that none of the remaining elven Lords felt like leaving anytime soon.

She was right.

XXX

A century or so later, the Twins finally officially made their choice to be elven, though they also decided to stay in Arda for a while longer. Celeborn and Thanduil felt too tied to Arda itself to leave as well.

As the years passed on, Silari and Cirdan watched Mithlond collapse around them as the last of its inhabitants, bar its rulers, left the place. Shortly after the last Teleri, bar Cirdan, left the rulers sealed up the city for the elements to conceal and destroy. Once that had been accomplished they moved across to the woodland realm as well. Eryn Lasgalen, Wood of the Green Leaves, was now the only remaining land of the Elves.

XXX

Centuries, then Millennia, passed by and the few Elves that remained, all of about a hundred of them, watched the world around them change. The old world as they knew it faded and Middle Earth disappeared into obscurity. Mount Doom, which was no longer known so blew up and destroyed Minas Tirith and killed most of its inhabitants, leaving only a small amount of the people alive. The royal line had survived, but the country failed to survive the disaster.

Over the Millennia the temperatures dropped and the world seemed to freeze over before heating up again and through all this the shorelines changed and the humans reverted backwards. Only a few legends of Middle Earth remained, told by word of mouth.

XXX

As time passed and the world changed, Celeborn, the Twins, Cirdan and Silari would leave Eryn Lasgalen periodically under pseudonyms and explore the worlds as they happened. Thanduil stayed behind in with the remaining Elves to look after shop.

One of the funniest occasions was meeting this Greek man named 'Plato' and telling him some elven stories. He even incorporated one of them into an unfinished trilogy of his. All the Elves found how he warped 'Atalantë' into 'Atlantis'. Either way, it kept Arda alive partly, even if only in legend and philosophy.

Then they watched as a new human kingdom called 'Great Britain' rose and the humans discovered new continents and settled them. The technology that the people of this time discovered was amazing and terrible at the same time. Meanwhile, the humans began to discover this preoccupation with the past, wanting to discover 'new' lost lands. This gave them an idea stemming from when they had told Plato of Númenor. This newfound human hobby allowed them to arrange for the rediscovery of Middle Earth.

The plan was temporarily stopped by the outbreaks of the two World Wars (as the humans called them). At the first signs of this mass violence between humans, all the Elves pulled in and hid within the walls of Thanduil's well concealed fortress in what was now known as the Black Forest or the Schwarzwald, as the locals called it.

It was only after the Elves were sure that peace had returned and the countries were recovering did they again leave the caves. As it turned out, they had waited rather a long time but then again, who knew with humans?

Eventually Celeborn took on his last human identity, Caleb Galadhrim, and he and the Twins went out to finish 'The Plan' as they now called it. It had been agreed that when they had uncovered Arda, the last Elves would sail and Silari would eventually get to Valinor.

While Celeborn and the Twins worked on their archaeology, Cirdan made himself a small ship and he and Silari left to sail the globe. One of the perks of humans liking 'ye old days' was that no one particularly noticed an elegant wooden ship sailing the globe.

When they pair finally returned to Thanduil's halls, they had a little surprise waiting for them. The last descendant of Aragorn and Arwen had been found, given the choice of the immortality of the Elves, taken it, and come to live in the halls. She had also been granted a place in Valinor.

The girl was named Eleanor and was the spitting image of Arwen in so many ways that it was uncanny. She and Silari hit it off immediately, for Eleanor was the first elleth for a long time that was of a similar rank. It was particularly amusing watching the Twins, Celeborn and Thanduil fuss over her, she being related to all of them.

It was not long after this though that they packed up and moved down to the hidden cove where the last ships for sailing to Valinor were hidden. Silari and Cirdan had delayed their return to allow them the time to build enough ships to take the remnant of their peoples to Aman.

Eventually though, the Elves were seen off and the royals were the last left and soon they boarded also, finally ready to sail to Aman.

As the ship sailed out of the cove and out to sea, Eleanor and Silari stood at the bow of the ship, watching the coast fade away into the distance and taking comfort that the other female present. They also felt how strange it was to be leaving Middle Earth for the last time.


	24. Chapter 24

Ahh, it's the last chapter! And here comes the end of this particular epic, with (since it is me) a suitably happy ending. All that is left for me to say is, thankyou my wonderful reviewers (Songing the woods, Nicolette-Whitlock, Werepanther33, Stabbythings, and whoever else i may have forgotten at this moment, sorry - Celi no have good memory.), Thank you for reading and Enjoy the rest of the story.

(For those who read the dawnstar epic stuff, soon to be posted on Rumrum's account there is another story called Forbidden fruit which is in the early stages of writing that takes off from 'In the Spring' still mostly following Adindel's POV covering his love/lust for Ginny. My dearly beloved co-writer and best friend and i are having a right laugh writing it and i hope you will all enjoy it. GaiaCaecilia)

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Etyanárë Chapter 24

The journey to Valinor took several weeks and was more often than not rather boring. The boredom was lifted significantly by Eleanor's presence, the young girl barely into her 30's and very curious about everything elven. She had learnt much about Elves while she stayed in Eryn Lasgalen, but Silari had had an upbringing much closer to how it would have actually been in Valinor. Maglor had been a traditionalist.

Cirdan was the one to spot when they had left the mainline shipping places and entered the 'long straight road' to Valinor, him being the most familiar with the sea. That night there were celebrations on board the boat, knowing that they could now see the end in sight so to speak.

Even so, it was another boring three weeks on the boat before they actually sighted land. That was Eleanor who spotted land, she being the agile one who was best at scurrying up to the crow's nest and therefore the lookout.

It still took a day or two to get to the large harbour. Silari nearly laughed when she saw the flags that Celeborn had run up the flag pole as they neared the two towers at either side of the harbour entrance. He had run up one for each house of Elves on the boat, his flag, Thanduil's, the Twins', Cirdan, and one for Silari. She wondered what the lookouts would be thinking when they saw that.

When they entered the harbour, they saw what must have been every ship that ever sailed to Valinor there. Just about every one of those ships had been built by Cirdan and/or his apprentices. It was quite spectacular to see them all together; you could see the progression on improvement as they went on. Cirdan was looking exceptionally proud of his handiwork.

Eventually though, they came to a free wharf, the only free one as it happened. At the end was a crowd with many Elves that all on board recognised, and many more that they didn't. Most prominent though were Galadriel, Elrond, Celebrían and Legolas. All four waited expectantly beside many other distinguished looking Elves.

Celeborn was the first to disembark, and then Cirdan and Silari got off as well. Thanduil and the Twins, and then Eleanor were last off. When Celeborn reached the waiting group, he immediately pulled his wife into a deep and very public kiss. There were several laughs at that and a distinguished Elf at the Lady's side got an elbow in the ribs for his amusement. It was the first time Silari had ever seen Galadriel blush.

Then she and Cirdan reached the group and Celebrían pulled Silari into a deep hug.

"You took your own sweet time getting here! We thought you had got lost or something." Silari laughed.

"No, blame your father, sons and Thanduil. Cirdan would not leave until they had; I would not leave without Cirdan so that meant sticking around until their get up and go arrived." Celebrían and Elrond raised their eyebrows for a second before laughing as they translated what she had said.

"Your speech has changed Silari, it is different somehow." Elrond said softly.

"And hello to you too, Elrond. Typical that the first thing you notice is the change in my speech. We have not been totally isolated from the humans while we were sitting around Arda for all those millennia and so have picked up the ever changing speech of their kind. That is except for Thanduil as he stayed home to look after shop, sorry the elven haven, I forgot you would not have come across that phrase before." The last bit was added after the confused look that spread across the Elves' faces. "Incidentally, I have someone I know you will want to meet." Silari turned and called Eleanor to her.

The human had been standing back from the rest of the Elves, who were all greeting their relatives enthusiastically, looking rather lost and seemed glad that there was something she could now do.

"Elrond, Celebrían, meet Eleanor, the last descendant of Arwen and Aragorn. The Valar gave her the choice of immortality and a place in Valinor, she obviously took both and so we brought her with us." Both Elves had eyes the size of saucers and it took them a moment to recover from their shock. When they did however, Elrond pulled Eleanor into his arms and held her close. He then pulled back slightly and looked at her, noticing her similarity to his daughter.

"You look so like her! It is amazing!" Celebrían coughed gently and was then allowed to hug the girl herself. It was at this point that Celeborn decided to greet his daughter and son in-law as well as to introduce Galadriel to Eleanor. More hugs followed and then Thanduil decided to join in. Legolas got a little weepy over her, knowing that Eleanor was his great to the goodness knows what niece. More than once there were comments on Eleanor's slight Irish accent, the brogue was unfamiliar to the Elves, though not found unpleasant.

After a while, Galadriel decided to finally introduce Silari to some of the Elves she did not know, who had all been waiting out the reunions patiently. Silari couldn't help noticing that several of the group bore close resemblance to Galadriel.

"Silari, these are some people I thought you would be particularly interested in meeting. They have been eagerly awaiting your arrival. May I introduce my father, Finarfin who is your great uncle and..." The list went on, covering all of Silari's relatives. To a girl who had only had known her father, and for a short while her uncle, to suddenly be introduced to an entire family was quite a shock. It was slightly dizzying, to say the least.

After some time, Silari was not sure how long exactly, Cirdan called to her and led a particularly distinguished looking Elf over to her.

"Meleth nin, I wanted to introduce you to one of my kin I have not seen since the time of the trees." Silari winced, as did one or two other Elves. That was a _very_ long time ago. "May I introduce Olwë, my kinsman and the brother of Elwë, or Thingol of Doriath as you would know him." The Elf bowed formally to her as Cirdan introduced her as his beloved.

"You have picked an interesting one, Nowë, she is the descendant of Feanor that my granddaughter is so fond of, is she not?" Olwë spoke slowly and very formally and it took Silari a second to realise that Nowë was actually Cirdan. He hadn't been called that by anyone in Ages, at least 7 or 8 of them. In response to the question though, Galadriel wrapped her arm around Silari's shoulder.

"Yes, grandfather, she is." At the confused look Silari was trying to hide, Galadriel elaborated. "Olwë is my mother's father."

"Do you have a Quenya name, child? It is proper that the great granddaughter of Finwë has a correct Quenya name." Silari opened her mouth to answer when someone behind her spoke first.

"Her father gave her the name Etyanárë, but that is not appropriate now for she is not an exile and has come home. Her Quenya name is now Aranárë." Silari turned to stare at the tall figure who had spoken, who was this imposing figure who had the right to change her name?

The Elves around her bowed slightly to the Lord and some said a word that told Silari all she needed to know: Manwë. Of course the Lord of the Valar could do what he liked. Silari also bowed to him, but he placed his fingers under her chin and lifted it again.

"You are more than welcome here, child, even though for many long years you felt exiled. Your exile ends now, totally. I will not punish those who have done nothing. You have shown your right to be called noble many times over the years, and I welcome you as all should. Find peace and acceptance only from now on." And he smiled at her, a gentle and friendly smile that she couldn't help smiling back at. He then turned to Eleanor.

"You are also welcome here, child, I made it so you would find this place and so all elven blood is now returned to the elven home. As a sign of your welcome here, I have a new name for you also. You are now Elfairë, star of radiance, and last holder of the Evenstar pendant. I welcome you also and may you find what you did not have amongst the humans." She then smiled at her and before either elleth knew what had happened, the Valar was gone as mysteriously as he arrived.

After a few seconds everyone recovered, though Eleanor was the first to speak.

"Those evangelists really do not do justice to their descriptions of meeting God." Silari looked at the girl and laughed. Most of the other Elves looked confused while those who understood just shook their heads.

The two Elves spent much of the rest of the day meeting many new Elves and getting to know those they were related to. By evening they were each whisked off, Eleanor went with the Twins to Celebrían and Elrond's house, while Silari and Cirdan went to Olwë's home to stay for he wished for his long separated kinsman to be near until they had built their own house to live in.

XXX

That night, after everything had been taken care of and Silari was once again left alone with Cirdan, they stood on a balcony outside their room watching the stars. They were silent for the most part with occasional bit of conversation.

"You know, it is strange being here, I thought I would never come here, Adar always made it clear that I was exiled due to being born of him. To finally be here, it is..." Silari sighed gently, not sure how to put it. Cirdan then spoke up.

"When we were unable to cross to Valinor because we had waited to find Elwë, I felt like the Valar had forsaken me in not allowing me to cross because I had waited behind for my kin. Then I was told about the ship Earendil would take and I had a purpose, but even then I knew I would not go to the place I longed for until all others had come. I always knew I would be waiting for others to come to Valinor. I have waited since the dawn of the Elves to be here, having spent untold millennia as an exile with a purpose and I know how you feel, my love, for we are the same. We were exiled because of those we are related to, but that exile has been lifted and now we are finally here." He smiled and leant down and kissed her softly.

"Now, how about we go in and try to make those children we would not have on Earth?" And with that not so subtle invitation, the pair went inside to celebrate the end of their exile in their own private way.

The END


End file.
